


The Bittersweet Fate Of A Duelist

by ElenCelebrindal



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Content, Sexual Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, atem came back as a spirit, bakura has his old body, seto is seth's host
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:00:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 130,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElenCelebrindal/pseuds/ElenCelebrindal
Summary: The fate of a Duelist is not always shimmering gold, a shower of bright fame on an even brighter future. Some times, people are going to steal their way up, making other suffer unbearable memories and wounds. In dark times like these, love and close friend could really make a difference, and if that fate can't return as bright as it was, it can at least light up again.On hiatus until June-July because of exams





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Premise for the reader: I am not a native English speaker, and this is my first time translating one of my own fanfiction. I'm actually Italian, and even by having a pretty large knowledge of this language, I'm not that good at writing in it. So I'm sorry for any mistakes you will find in this, and I apologize for the times (if any) I confused British English with American English. I still mix them up a lot. 
> 
> Regarding the story itself, there are many headcanons in it, some of them quite rarely faced in this fandom. See the end for more notes on that matter. All the events in this particular story, even the majority of flashbacks, take place long after the Canon-verse, ten years later.
> 
> Last thing, when you see this "" for a dialogue, Yugi and Atem are talking silently, using telepathy. When you see this «», it's a normal dialogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Premise for the reader: I am not a native English speaker, and this is my first time translating one of my own fanfiction. I'm actually Italian, and even by having a pretty large knowledge of this language, I'm not that good at writing in it. So I'm sorry for any mistakes you will find in this, and I apologize for the times (if any) I confused British English with American English. I still mix them up a lot.
> 
> Regarding the story itself, there are many headcanons in it, some of them quite rarely faced in this fandom. See the end for more notes on that matter. All the events in this particular story, even the majority of flashbacks, take place long after the Canon-verse, ten years later.
> 
> Last thing, when you see this "" for a dialogue, Yugi and Atem are talking silently, using telepathy. When you see this «», it's a normal dialogue.
> 
> This chapter has been updated, with some grammatical and spacing fixes.

As told by the obnoxious notification on his phone’s screen, the work day at KaibaCorp. was going to prove itself to be way more tiring and exhausting than expected.   
Before even thinking about getting out of a comfy embrace made of warm sheets and a soft bed, at the usual six in the morning he was at this point used to, Yugi silenced the alarm and grabbed his phone. On the screen, a text from Seto.

_ We have a meeting today, about the progress we’re making with the new VR technology and the Legendary Dragon. I sent Roland to pick you up, so we can talk about it better. See you in a hour. _

Half-yawning, Yugi forced himself to pull away the sheets and sit up, turning the screen off as he did so. Sleepily scratching the back of his head, Yugi set the phone on the bedside table and got up, his mind already hurrying in the meeting’s direction.   
The Legendary Dragon was their newest Duel Monsters based videogame, a big project they’ve been working on for quite some time. Seto was taking care of the updated VR system essential to play it, being a lot more competent, while Yugi and his nerd herd were taking care of the actual programming, concepts and major storylines.   
Suffocating a second yawn, Yugi shushed Atem’s voice in his head (he was trying to wake him up a bit more) and opened the curtains; there was still no natural light outside, just the dim one coming from lampposts and other houses’ windows.   
After lazily rubbing his eyes, Yugi turned on the light and squinted at the sudden change in brightness, heading to the bathroom as quietly as possible. He didn’t know if his grandfather was awake or not, and didn’t want to wake him up if the latter.

 

 _“Are you going to wear one of your business suits?”_.  
The Pharaoh, an almost specular copy of Yugi if not for some minor details, materialized in his usual spirit form near the young man.   
His Egyptian attire flowed on his figure, blown around by inexistent gusts of wind.

 

Busy brushing his teeth, Yugi answered with a small shrug; it was of a rare thing, him wearing those high fashion outfits chosen by Seto himself. Aside from really important meetings or mandatory formal events, Yugi preferred sticking to more… comfortable clothes.   
But that very meeting was going to be of key importance to their development.  
“Yeah, I think it’s for the best”, he finally answered, rinsing his face with icy water. The cold helped waking him up completely, and Yugi strolled shirtless out the bathroom, a damp towel still draped around his neck.

 

Back in his room, a quick glance at the phone told his it was 6:15 am. Plenty of time to dress up, then.   
“On some occasions, the dress makes the monk”, Yugi added, opening the smallest part of his closet. “And I can’t let our sponsors think I’m less competent than I really am”.   
He still wasn’t fully used to that kind of life, less frugal and thrifty to be honest. The winnings that came from various tournaments and from his previous job had earned Yugi pretty big amounts of money, but when Seto first employed him and then convinced him to be his right hand man (quite literally) at KaibaCorp., three years before, the King of Games had to take into account his new way of living.

 

The year before he had finally decided to renovate and expand the house, earning himself and his family a much more welcoming environment. He especially got a really long thank you speech from his mother, who had been pleading Solomon to invest something in renovation.   
Shortly after, he made sure to link the game shop with KaibaCorp, not only inaugurating a space twice as big, but also opening the door to the best public Duel Links server in Domino City. Yugi had to lure his grandfather into it, because Solomon had been skeptical about the sudden change in ownership, but when Yugi assured him the shop would still be theirs he kindly accepted.

 

 

Atem nodded at Yugi’s words, well knowing how much appearance mattered as much as intelligence in some cases. Even in Egypt some events required formality, if not strictly asked for it. Atem still had a strong hate for that ridiculously heavy crown he had to wear every once in a while. There was a reason he’s chosen a much smaller and slicker one for every day.   
Still, Yugi seemed worried about the meeting, so he smiled at him: _“I am sure everything will go as intended. You have a brilliant mind, Yugi, and this kind of issues are no exception”_.

 

 

Yugi smiled back, grateful to the constant support Atem was always ready to offer, more so at the slightest sign of disturbance, and resolved to pull out of the closet one of his newest suits, enveloped in a protective back to avoid wrinkles and accidental damage.   
It was a simple set of black pants, vest and jacket, with a dark purple button up shirt and a black tie. Simple, yet so expensive Yugi refused to know the price tag of it. Seto bought it for him at the beginning of the year, tired of seeing him wearing always the same two suits, and tried to make it more appealing to Yugi with a clever color reference to his Dark Magician.   
A dirty trick that worked wonders.

 

Distractedly chatting with Atem but still keeping an eye on the time, Yugi took off his soft pajama pants and threw the damp towel on the unmade bed, dressing up as quickly as he could without crumpling his clothes.  
After closing the buttons of the vest on the purple shirt, Yugi went back to the bathroom and placed himself in front of the mirror. Armed with a robust comb and an overabundant dose of hair gel, Yugi took a long time to tame his rebel hair, brushing it backwards and silently hoping they would stay down for the day. At least, until the end of the meeting.   
The only bits of hair he let free of that treatment were some golden locks of his fringe, some of which he moved behind his ear.

 

 

 _“You look stunning”_ , Atem complimented him, whose evanescent figure was sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed.

 

 

Yugi gladly accepted the compliment, but then he laughed: “This won’t last. My hair are worse than a Kuriboh, when it comes to shaping it”.   
Under Atem’s suggestion, Yugi choose a pair of fine gold earrings (the habit of wearing gold jewelry his fault), and ultimately tied the tie around his neck, making sure the shirt’s collar wasn’t low and the tie itself not too tight.

 

 

Upon noticing Yugi’s more nervous gestures, Atem approached him calmly, reassuring him with a squeeze on his shoulder. He wasn’t able to touch him, but the gesture was there.   
_“It’s fine, Yugi. You do not need to be worried”_.

 

 

Yugi managed a nod only after checking the cuffs were perfectly lined up with his wrists, and the buttons secured in their holes.   
Once the ubiquitous Millennium Puzzle was hanging from his neck, the only discordant note in a full formal look, Yugi wore the jacket and moved both his laptop and related accessories from his usual backpack to a black leather case Seto had given him at his first day at KaibaCorp., a life ago.   
As much as Yugi found it uncomfortable to carry around and not suitable for him, it was the last touch of pure professionalism that could make the difference in that world full of vultures, every single one of them ready to dive on the best prey.   
The umpteenth quick glance at the phone informed him it was almost 7 am, so Yugi unplugged it from the charger and put it in his pocket.   
Then, he grabbed the leather briefcase and flew down the hallway in the kitchen. His grandfather was already there, keeping an eye on a gurgling pot of coffee.

 

 

«Hey, Yugi! Any reasons you’re dressed like that?».

 

 

Solomon, despite his old age and graying hair, not to Yugi’s surprise was already up and about, and seemed to have already eaten breakfast, judging from a small pile of dishes in the sink.   
Yugi shrugged, smiling at him: «Important meeting for our new videogame, Roland will pick me up at any moment. Besides, are you really going to stay in the shop?», he asked in return, not bothering to have breakfast.   
Although Seto didn’t specified in his text (his damn pride got in the way almost every time), the invitation to have breakfast together was written in between the lines.

 

 

«I don’t have much to do, and Ashley takes care of most of the work anyway», Solomon replied with a shrug.   
The young woman had been hired by Yugi under Seto’s advice as a full time employee, more than anything to help managing the shop during week days. She was very diligent with her job, and skipped only a few day over a whole year.

 

 

Yugi had to agree with him: «You never get tired, uh?», he chuckled. «You should retire, grandpa. You’ve earned your rest».  
It wasn’t the first time he told him that, but the old man just waved his hand. On his side, Yugi only worked at the Game Shop on Saturdays and sporadically, often finding himself busy with loads of work for the company. Even being the owner of the shop wasn’t keeping him there, the company required lots of additional work more often than not.   
One of the many reasons why, taking advantage of the house renovation, Yugi decided to get a home office from which he could work in peace, obviously equipped with the latest technologies and whatnot of KaibaCorp. itself.

 

The sudden notification _beep_ startled Yugi for a moments, and he fished the phone out of his pocket to read the text.   
«Well, I’m going. See you in the evening», he said, putting the phone away. Roland was waiting for him, probably with the limo. Seto knew how unbearable that car was for Yugi, and yet he still insisted on sending Roland to pick him up with it.   
At some point Yugi came to the conclusion he was doing that just to annoy him.

 

Thinking ahead towards the meeting, Yugi bid goodbye to his grandfather and ran downstairs, grabbing and wearing a pair of elegant shoes on his way out. He used them so rarely they seemed brand new.   
Then he stepped out the back door, locked it and reached with a sigh the slick black limousine parked a short distance away, its purring engine barely audible.   
Luckily, Roland was way more reasoning than Seto and didn’t step out of the car to open the door for him. After all, Yugi had made clear he didn’t want that kind of ridiculous attention. He didn’t want the luxury limo as well, but there was a limit to his possibilities.

 

 

«I apologize, Mr. Muto, but…».

 

 

«But Seto insisted. At this point, I don’t know why am I even trying. Don’t worry about it», Yugi replied immediately, shaking his head as the limo entered the street.   
Not far from them, Yugi’s bodyguards were tailing it. Seto wasn’t joking around, when he told Yugi he was going to have security 24/7 on him.

 

 

 

The limo stopped at the entrance of KaibaCorp.’s imposing and futuristic skyscraper and Yugi thanked Roland before getting out of the car, smoothing the hem of his jacket as he reached the entrance.  
He gave the impressive Blue-Eyes White Dragon statues little to no attention, used to their roaring presence near the road.   
Glass automatic doors swooshed open to let him pass and Yugi didn’t have time to wander around all that much, routed to the upper floor by a kind-looking woman.   
Up in the cafeteria, Seto and Mokuba were waiting for him in a private parlor, sitting on a comfy looking couch.

 

 

«You definitely took your time», Seto said, checking document after document on his tablet.

 

 

«I’ll have you know I don’t have control over traffic. And a limo is not ideal for that», Yugi retorted, already expecting that kind of greeting.   
He cared, but he also liked punctuality. Both for himself and other people.   
When a fairly disgruntled Seto finally looked up from the tablet to glare at Yugi, instead he started staring, frozen in place. His Blue-Eyes statues had nothing to be jealous of, in a matter of stillness.   
Atem snickered from Yugi’s mind as he sat down next to the CEO, painfully restraining himself from laughing as well.   
Mokuba, on the other hand, was weighing the idea of snapping a picture of his brother’s bewildered expression. No doubt.

 

 

After a while, Seto cleared his throat and turned off the tablet’s screen, pulling up the touchscreen display to finally order some breakfast. He had to wipe away Yugi’s striking appearance, somehow, but food wasn’t enough of a distraction.   
Yugi and Mokuba opted for chocolate croissant, while Seto chose a plain one and added coffee for everyone (black for himself and Yugi, with a little bit of sugar for Mokuba). He then waited around until they got their orders before turning a pretty casual conversation on the subject of the meeting.   
By then, he’d finally wiped away the slight embarrassment (or arousement? He had no idea) Yugi’s appearance had put on him.   
Clearing his voice, Seto turned on his tablet’s screen and showed a couple of slides to Yugi: «I hope your idea of involving new sponsors will prove itself successful, Yugi. This meeting has to go smoother than oil, if we want to develop the final codes to complete the game _and_ get the sponsors alongside them», the CEO began, leaning back against the curved sofa around the table.

 

 

Seto was right. The M.V. Corporation, a rising company which Yugi had involved to sponsor the videogame alongside more known ones, would deliver some final codes for the Legendary Dragon only if everything found its liking.   
Of course, finishing the game with different programming and codes was no big deal for Seto and Yugi, but that was more of a business trick and deal than anything else. The M.V. Corporation, while being young, had plenty of potential and was focused only on game production.   
Better than Bethesda, anyway. Yugi was “this” close near to plead for Seto to stop collaborating with that company. For as much as he loved it, it was a big NO on his account.   
Frowning, Yugi set the tablet down: «We won’t have any problems with them. KaibaCorp. needs some more affiliated gaming companies, and by helping that we’re gaining its backup», he answered, drawing from the confidence Atem had infused him with. «Plus, we’ve tested the game ourselves at every new build, and your VR system is almost ready to have a beta version».

 

 

Point in his favor.   
«I guess you’re right. We’ll see how it goes, and how many people I’ll need to fire».

 

 

«You’re insufferable».

 

 

 

They stayed in the cafeteria until 8 pm, quietly discussing the matter, then all three got up to start their day.   
Mokuba left for his office as soon as the elevator doors opened, while Seto and Yugi headed for the large meeting room on the same floor.   
It was a beautiful and polished setting, open despite the long table surrounded by chairs at its center, and offered large windows with a great view of the city below. Every surface had been cleaned so spotless Yugi could swear it was shining.

 

While waiting for the sponsors to arrive, Yugi pulled out his computer from the briefcase and turned it on, opening files and documents he judged appropriate for the meeting. Meanwhile, Seto took care to arrange a couple of holographic screens, all followed by the right presentation programs.   
On a third screen, the videogame’s title stood shimmering gold on a black background, fancy letters coiled by Slifer’s serpentine mass. Barely audible, its thrilling soundtrack gave Yugi chills.

 

Less than a hour later, many of the chairs around the table were occupied by men and women dressed in elegant suits, mostly dark colors, in harmony with the one Yugi was wearing but in complete disagreement with the pure whiteness of Seto’s suit. The light blue shirt helped giving away his Blue-Eyes inspiration, as always.   
The start of the meeting saw a multitude of questions, both technical and curiosity-based, so after a while Seto relegated to Yugi a complete explanation of game mechanics, modes and basic plot.   
In short, the Legendary Dragon was a virtual reality, adventure based game focused on Duel Monsters’ creatures, items and locations. The protagonist, aka the player, had to advance carrying out mission after mission to unveil the legend of a magnificent, powerful dragon that once terrorized the whole world.   
Along the way it was possible to cross villages and towns, as well as points of interests, with a huge variety of fully fledged inhabitants. It was easy to run into sudden ambushes, but also into traps and pleasant finds.   
Yugi went on listing a good chunk of secondary missions, not nearly enough to properly reveal the real deal of hours and hours of playthrough.   
All in all, the Legendary Dragon was a way more complex and virtual reality based version of famous open-world videogames, but with a lot more game mechanics and shenanigans to it. Also, it had the remarkable advantage of being focused on the most played (and abused) game of all time, such as Duel Monsters.

 

«It’s an open world videogame with a large variety of characters and creatures randomly generated and spawned, as to give each player a different experience. The different classes you can choose from at the beginning help in that regard, bringing an entire new level of diversity between playthroughs.   
Speaking of hours of gameplay, the main quest takes about thirty to forty hours, but any player can wander around and explore freely, so a total number of hours is undefined», Yugi explained, getting a little bit in detail as he saw some perplexed faces.

 

 

«Could you estimate some kind of number?».

 

 

Yugi nodded, clearing his throat: «I would dare to say… not less than three hundred hours, assuming everything goes smooth and without distractions. Still a number to take with care, the game’s quests still need refinement».

 

 

Another man raised a question, waving a pen around to get Yugi’s attention: «How many quests are in the game, as for now?».

 

 

«About nine hundred, but we’re planning on developing other ones. Once finished, the game will have roughly a thousand secondary quests, not counting the main story and a handful of major ones. The quests will take from a few minutes to a few hours, and will lead to many different outcomes depending on the choices made by the player».

 

 

After that no one spoke for a while, some taking notes or thinking. At the end, a woman coughed to get Seto’s attention: «Are you planning to add a multiplayer feature? This is a great and innovative project, of course, and I am going to give it my full support. But for every game based on Duel Monsters, often player seeks an option to face or team up with other people», she asked, a legitimate question.

 

 

Seto took the opportunity to throw out in the open the last bit of information he was about to give at the meeting, his voice harsh and severe: «No, the VR system will _not_ have a multiplayer feature. We will add it for future console and computer versions, but a virtual reality multiplayer is not being produced by my company».   
And for a good reason.   
Not once, but twice they got in trouble in multiplayer virtual worlds.   
First, the misadventure that saw Seto, his brother, Yugi, Mai and Wheeler trapped in the game, to the delight of the Big Five. Seto had already decided, after that, he wasn’t going to create anymore VR multiplayers.  
And then, Noah’s Virtual World, also contaminated by those fucking old men in search for power. Seto was glad they died like that, disappearing into nothingness. He couldn’t imagine what they could have done, to him or his brother more than the company, if they would’ve escaped.   
In the end, though, Noah gained trust and melancholic memories from the Kaiba brothers, and helped them escape, but Seto’s distrust for VR multiplayers only grew bigger.

 

 

The meeting prolonged itself for hours, with discussion regarding more technical details, possible release dates to be speculated, an in depth analysis of some quests and stories, and so on.   
Because of that, and a couple of coffees later, Seto and Yugi found themselves free to breathe only after 3 pm.   
«It went well, didn’t it?», the latter asked rhetorically, turning off his laptop before storing it in the briefcase. The USB stick received from their sponsors, containing a bunch of useful codes, went in a side pocket pending a thoroughly scan.   
Yugi was going to carefully look for any errors, voluntary modifications or corruption before sending the codes to his team. No risks to be taken.   
Seto muttered something in an affirmative tone and left the meeting room alongside Yugi, who insisted on going down to have lunch.

 

 

 

The cafeteria was fairly empty at that time of the day, save for a couple employees enjoying a late lunch break, so Seto didn’t bother to return in the private parlor.   
Yugi convinced him to eat something more than a cup of coffee and the two ate quickly, managing to get a small talk in between bites. Mostly business matters, but Seto wasn’t that much talkative anyway. Not in public.   
Half an hour later Yugi was in his office on the upper floor of the skyscraper, sitting at his desk and busy entering a bunch of codes into the system to scan them.

 

The office was too much for a single person, a huge room with spectacular windows, a mirrored copy of those occupied by Mokuba and Seto himself.   
In addition to his curved desk, a prodigy of technology more than craftsmanship, bookcases lined up against the walls, the shelves weighed down by a multitude of different objects and books. On the opposite side of the room, near the door, a small couch and a coffee table took up some of the space.   
On random days the couch could be occupied by Yugi’s friends, who liked to visit him from time to time when their schedules let them. Other days the couch would be stolen by Mokuba, sitting there as he discussed with Yugi about a videogame in development or his tours.   
Yugi did the same thing with Seto, taking refuge in his office if he was free enough to slump on his leather couch and keep on working on his laptop.

 

At that moment, though, the couch offered a place to Atem’s spectral figure, whom Yugi started a conversation with while eyeing the long scanning process on the holographic screen.   
“So… did you like the meeting? This was a long one”.

 

 _“I think it is safe to say I have witnessed and endured way more boring things”_ , the Pharaoh replied. On some days, Atem really hated being a Pharaoh.

 

Yugi snorted, well imagining and knowing how many events, ceremonies and meetings Atem must have taken part in back in Ancient Egypt. They chatted a little bit more, Yugi focused on the computer screen: still 15% progress.   
“You know, I never thought I would’ve get used to this”, he said, after a few quite minutes.

 

_“What do you mean?”_

 

Sighing, Yugi ran a hand through his hair, miraculously still in place: “All of this. My job here, the role I have and what’s asking from me. Discussions and meetings and game programming… I never thought I would have the patience or the ability to carry forward what Seto trusted to put in my hands”, he replied, after thinking about his answer.   
In three years, Yugi never stopped to reflect on how much his position was in that company. Seto really gave him all his trust, something Yugi never fully realized.   
At first, coming from a small company for which he was making games, he didn’t know how to behave. That world was too big and intimidating for him, so Yugi often asked Atem for advice. Or even Seto.   
However, being everyday under pressure and holding so many responsibilities, it didn’t take long for Yugi to take the situation in hand. Less than a year following his employment, Yugi had found himself able to start and coordinate a lot of different tasks.   
Not knowing how to reply, Atem simply smiled at him.

 

 

 

At 6 pm, as usual, Yugi saved his progress (not much since the full scan took two hours to complete) and turned off the computer, stretching back in the chair with a half yawn.   
A few minutes later, just those necessary to get up and put the USB in his briefcase, Mokuba’s voice rang from behind the door.

 

 

The door whooshed open and Mokuba crossed his arms: «Are we going? Don’t tell me I have to convince you too, Seto almost didn’t want to hear any reason».

 

 

Yugi chuckled silently: «Don’t worry, we’re going», he replied.   
Mokuba had always been more sympathetic towards Yugi and his friends, since the early days, even when Seto insisted on keeping distance or tried in any way to win over the group.   
Less than five years after the dangerous and bizarre events of Duelist Kingdom, aided by the weird shenanigans against Diva, Yugi and Mokuba had become really good friends and the younger Kaiba also begun to hang out with the rest of the gang.   
Some time later Seto had been included in the group of friends, Yugi ignoring his constant complaints about it and his perennial denial to any mention of the word “friendship”. They’ve never involved him in their fun wanderings, knowing he would just refuse every single invitation, but Yugi forced him into their group chat and re-added Seto every time he tried to leave. In the end, the CEO gave up and surrendered.

 

The only thing Yugi never shared with Joey and the others, despite their deep friendship and his trust, was the actual bond between him and Seto, which they themselves couldn’t figure out until years later their first encounter, in a not-that-pleasant situation.  
Not even Mokuba, Seto’s most trustful confident, came to know about their relationship until months after, all thanks to the understanding he had of his brother and his emotion. For a long time, Yugi knew Mokuba was convinced his brother was only in love with Atem, and started dating Yugi just because he reminded him of the Pharaoh.

 

Realizing Yugi’s direction of thoughts, Atem abruptly brought his attention elsewhere: _“Hey, are you going to stay in the shop tomorrow? I would like to take a look to the latest booster packs we received”_ , he said.   
The strategy worked.

 

“Sure, I don’t have extra work to do from home”, Yugi answered, silently. Although Mokuba was now used to accidental replies from Seto and Yugi to their spirits, he was still confused about the whole issue.   
When they stepped out of the elevator, Yugi noticed Seto was waiting for them in the entrance hall, busy discussing something on his phone. Upon seeing them coming, though, he cut short and closed the communication, visibly irritated.

 

 

«Hey, what’s happening?».

 

 

Seto shrugged off his brother’s question: «Some sponsors are still giving problems about the... the tournament».   
He added nothing more, quickly glancing at Yugi: that particular tournament, ended two months before, wasn’t an issue to be brought up in his presence. Not yet.

 

Grateful, Yugi didn’t speak but shot him a “thank you” look. That night was still burning his skin like the fires of hell.   
Unaware, or maybe positively indifferent, Mokuba forced them out and Roland opened the limo door for them, closing it behind Yugi as soon as he got on board.   
Thirty minutes later, thanks to awful traffic, the car stopped in front of the Kame Game. Appreciative for the lift, Yugi thanked Roland and bid goodbye to the Kaiba brothers before stepping out of the car. And, while tired, Yugi didn’t fail to notice how the vehicle didn’t leave until he closed the door behind his back.

 

 

 

«Hey, grandpa! I’m home!», Yugi exclaimed, putting his shoes back on the shoe rack with a weary hum before climbing the stairs. He crossed the old man in the kitchen, cooking a deliciously smelling meat dish.

 

 

Solomon turned around to greet his grandson: «How’d the meeting go? Well, I bet», he said.

 

 

Yugi took of his jacket and carefully folded it over the back of the nearest chair: «Perfect, I dare to say. The game’s supposed to be finished within the month, I’m positive about that», he answered, sitting down at the kitchen table.  
Only then Yugi realized how tired he felt, as the sleepless nights he’d endured a few days ago slumped on his shoulders. Maybe it was because of harsh memories triggered by that damn tournament aftermath.  
Without realizing it, Yugi ended up switching place with Atem, leaving to him the task of chatting a little bit with his grandfather during dinner. Yugi returned to himself more than a hour later, confused as to why he was in his room instead of the kitchen.  
He hadn’t even paid attention to the conversation the Pharaoh had undertaken with his grandfather, estranged out of his own mind.

 

 _“What is troubling you, partner? I cannot help if you lock your thoughts to yourself”_ , Atem asked him worriedly, materializing by his side.

 

With a half sigh, Yugi forced himself to sit up on the bed, where he collapsed right after putting on his pajamas. Nervous, he began rubbing his wrists, where pale scars stood out against slightly less pale skin: “I keep thinking back. My head refuses to ignore it, and I don’t understand why now everything his coming back at me”, he replied, at last, his silent voice cracking.

 

Atem immediately recognized the issue thanks to Yugi’s gestures, but instead of averting his attention again, he hovered in front of him: _“Do you want to talk about it?”_ , he asked.

 

 

Yugi shook his head, a lump forming in his throat and a sting in his eyes: “No, don’t… you don’t have to worry about it. just… can we switch? I need some time to think”, he replied, barely convincing his lips to form a trembling smile. “And maybe a little bit of rest”, he added a few seconds later.

 

The Pharaoh willingly consented and didn’t ask other questions, clearly reading the other’s desire to be left in peace. A second after he found himself in Yugi’s place, while his partner locked the door of his Soul Room.  
Atem couldn’t fully understand Yugi’s feelings about what happened, not having been at his side during that unfortunate event. The Puzzle was far away from him, too much for the spirit to _know_. But, he could feel his pain and fear, enough to understand it had been a more traumatic experience he was able to comprehend.   
What happened before that, a long list of situations worse than the Shadows themselves involving both him and Seto, certainly wasn’t going to help.   
Picking the course of his thoughts again, he locked them in his Soul Room and tried to ignore everything they whispered at him. He needed rest, and Yugi was counting on him to get it.   
Yawning, Atem slipped under the covers and, after setting the alarm at 7 am, turned off the light and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The major headcanon here is the one that sees Atem back as a spirit, not in his own body. I couldn't let myself writing about Yugi living without the Pharaoh in his mind, even though I cannot quite understand the reason myself.  
> The other one sees Seto owning the Millennium Rod, all while being host to his former life's spirit Seth, much like Yugi.  
> Other characters have their own backstories and headcanons connected to them, but those will be treated lightly and shortly, just so you don't get confused and driven away from the main plot itself.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: Seto? I didn’t expect you to actually show up.  
> Seto Kaiba: I have no backlog or anything else to do. And it’s worth bothering someone, especially if it’s a modern reincarnation of a dull monkey.  
> Joey Wheeler: Tell me this is a fucking joke.  
> Mai Valentine: This time you ended up badly, Joey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit shorter than the first one, and I'm (unfortunately) sure the next one is going to be shorter, but this needed to be done for the story's sake! They are going to be mostly filler chapters, I'm not going to lie.   
> One last thing before I leave you to the story (finally): I apologize for Joey's speech. I know he has a particular way of speaking in the English dub, but he doesn't in the Italian (which is the one I watched), so he's just a plain old person with no speech pattern or whatsoever. Again, sorry about it.

A couple hours after opening the Kame Game Shop, which had become crowded ad usual in less than thirty minutes, Atem (still switched with Yugi) saw the familiar figures of Joey, Tea and Tristan approaching, engaged in who knows what kind of conversation.   
«Excuse me, can you tell me which one of these is better for my Deck?».  
A little girl’s question turned his attention away from his friends, and with a kind smile Atem advised her on the most suitable booster for her Deck, entirely focused on the Plant Type. Cheerful, the girl left with two card packs in her hands just before Joey and the others reached their friend at the counter.  
As usual, they did not seem to realize Atem was in Yugi’s place, but the Pharaoh didn’t care that much: they’ve exchanged so often, even in normal surroundings, that the deal did not represent a problem at all. Moreover, if people could distinguish them before by playing ‘spot the differences’, now they looked very much alike, even in the voice.   
«Hey, Yugi! What’s up, buddy? You seem to be back in shape», Joey said, with a huge smile on his face.   
Atem shrugged: «All in one piece as before, kind of», he replied. “At least on physical level”, he then added mentally, without giving away that part.   
Yugi’s soul seemed to flicker faintly, for as much as Atem could sense it, so he hastened to change the subject: «So, what are you doing here?».  
«They gave me the day off», Tristan replied first, leaning his elbow on the counter, carelessly. «Strange, but true».  
Atem chuckled; Tristan had managed to enter the Domino City police force the year before, having failed his university entrance test, and immersed himself totally in the job. So much, actually, that neither Yugi or his friend saw him more than a few times.  
Tea, too, showed up rarely over the weekends, busy as she was with her schedule, but apparently she had recovered a day off from her full time job as a professional dancer.   
«How’s it going with your courses, Joey?», Atem asked after exchanging a few chats with Tea and Tristan, taking advantage of the situation after nearly three weeks without seeing them. Sure, they all were in their group chat, and they managed to clog it every day with messages related to any kind of topic, but talking to each other in person was always better.  
Joey gave him a thumbs up: «They’re going great. Next year I’ll be able to enter university without problems if I go on like this. I’m just disappointed about the wasted first opportunity», he replied, without even bothering to remember fully his first failure. “If I want to become an eye doctor, I can’t afford wasting time over stupid mistakes»  
After that exchange, the group was able to chat freely only a few more minutes before a row of customers formed in front of the counter.  
Apologizing to his friends, Atem dedicated himself to the customers as the three wandered around the game shop, staring at videogames, consoles and cards, and in the end opting for some booster packs, to change their Decks.  
Even Tea decided to buy a couple of packs, having begun to Duel herself after spending a few months practicing and taking lessons from Yugi’s grandfather.   
As soon as the store emptied enough to eliminate the row of customers, Tea and Joey paid for the packs and the three stayed until lunch time, when they decided to take advantage of the two closing hours of the Kame Game to drag Atem to a fast food shop, recently opened nearby.

«Well, what do you think? I’m pretty sure I got lucky this time», Tea said smugly, handing out the cards she’d found to Atem after they sat out at a free table.  
They were all Fairy Type, conforming Tea’s Deck, and a couple of them was really not bad. «I agree», Atem nodded. «You found very good cards, especially this one – he pointed it – that I suggest you put immediately in you Deck».   
After a while Joey included himself in the Duel Monsters related conversation, while Tristan returned to the table with their orders carefully stacked in his hands, having offered to deal with them prior.  
Grateful to have some company, Atem hope Yugi also felt a bit better, listening the insane story of Joey’s last Duel, an absurd battle against a guy who apparently used a weird king of Duel Disk without holograms. «I won it, that’s all that counts, but man! It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen soul-stealing bastards!”.

After lunch (Atem paid, trashing his friends’ complaints), all four returned to the shop and decided to engage some Duels to kill time, the old fashioned way: gaming mats and no holograms yelling and roaring in your face.   
They spent like that the last half hour of free time, before the afternoon opening.  
After defeating all three of them, Atem left his friends Dueling behind the counter and took care of the shop’s reopening, without even bothering to reach the door.   
Just a few taps on the keyboard and everything was already lit and functional. The affiliation with KaibaCorp had, indeed, brought considerable technological updates to the place.  
Atem took  quick look at the surveillance cameras to check their operational status, the focused on the computer screen to enter the Duel Link’s server and check for new updates: he usually did it every Saturday morning, before opening the Kame Game, but that particular morning Atem didn’t think about it.   
Cursing himself silently, Atem downloaded the update and started the just opened event, a gift’s campaign with his faithful Magical Hats as protagonists, all hiding random prizes for the players.  
Mokuba had actually advised him to arrange automatic updates but, just as Seto (who trashed the idea with a dry refusal), Yugi did not agree. It was not for nothing that every single new event, character or card inventory was always released on the weekend, after lots of careful checks on programming and coding, all under direct approval of Seto himself, only.   
Thanking Atem’s friends company (the three refused to leave before closing time and insisted on helping), the day passed lightly and before the Pharaoh even realized it was seven o’clock in the evening.  
Joey tried to convince him to have dinner all together, but Atem shook his head: «Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow we can all catch up for lunch, also with Mai, Marik and Bakura», he suggested instead, crossing his arms.  
Much to his surprise, Yugi quietly thanked him from his Soul Room, which he apparently decided to reopen and consequently reconnected their thoughts. If his partner needed more space, he was going to get it.  
“Do you want to actually meet up tomorrow or…?’.  
_“Yeah, just… not now”_.  
“Are you sure?”.  
_“I’m sure”_. The only answer to the silent question.   
Tristan agreed, taking Atem back to reality: «We can also ask Duke, right? He’s in Domino, after all».  
«Of course», Atem agreed. «See you tomorrow then. Meet up at eleven in our usual park? We can do something before lunch. It’s been a long time since we all met up together. Someone was always away either for work or other reasons».  
The three agreed, perfectly fine with the idea, and left while waving goodbyes to each other before splitting up on the street.  
Atem, on the other hand, turned off the lights of the shop and activated the general security lock before moving into his house.   
As usual, he left the shoes behind and climbed the stairs, heading for the light in the kitchen, where his grandfather was busy cooking something.  
Solomon rarely worked in the shop on Saturdays, under Yugi’s categorical request, so he’d probably spent the day in front of the TV and showed up a couple of times to say hello and exchange a few words with Joey, Tristan and Tea.  
After dinner, which had been homemade falafel to Atem’s (and Yugi’s) surprise, the Pharaoh bid Solomon goodnight and locked himself in his room, but not before brushing his teeth with his favorite mint toothpaste.  
Talking quietly to Yugi, who had finally decided to show up in spirit form, Atem put on his pajamas and put himself under the covers, even though it wasn’t even nine pm.   
He didn’t actually realize how much tired and weary Yugi felt, after the long sleepless nights in which they talked or dueled to kill time; aside from his mind, Yugi’s body was exhausted. Atem never noticed the black shadows that weighed down his partner’s eyes, seeing them only that morning, in front of a not so benevolent mirror.  
Even being inside him as a spirit, rather possessing him, did not help the Pharaoh understand everything that was going on with Yugi, despite knowing him for years, and finding all that he hadn’t seen before just contributed to his concerns.   
Sighing, with a hint of resignation in noticing Yugi had closed himself in his Soul Room, Atem glanced at the half-open drawer of the bedside table, from where a closed pharmacological bottle winked at him, courtesy of a reluctant Seto at the young man’s prayer.   
With all of himself before falling asleep, Atem hoped the bottle would never open, and turned his thoughts to the much more pleasant expectation of the day after.

 

Awakened early by Yugi’s whirlwind thoughts, even though he had not completely restored the mind link, Atem stuck his head in the closet to find something to wear.   
It wasn’t very hot outside, so he opted for one of Yugi’s newest purchases, a not so thin, dark long-sleeved shirt with a very low collar, which always seemed to be about to slip off his shoulder in any moment. He combined it with a pair of black jeans, predominant color in Yugi’s wardrobe, then grabbed one of his many collars, without looking at himself in the mirror for too long as he closed it around his neck.  
Ten minutes later, after throwing a whole handful of solid gold jewelry into the outfit alongside a thick line of eyeliner around his eyes, Atem dropped onto the couch in the living room, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV.  
It was just nine am, and the park they used to go to was not far from the house, after all.  
Grandpa was still asleep, so Atem turned down the volume as he zapped through the channels in search of something interesting.

Finally, he settled on a channel that was talking about Duel Monsters and followed it absently, in the end resolving to unlock the phone and play Duel Links in incognito mode.   
With the soft spoken transmission in the background, Atem committed to build a brand new Deck with cards he found during the events, careful not to add any characteristic card in it; the last time someone recognized him, Yugi had to create a whole new anonymous profile , all while being swarmed with hundreds and hundreds of notifications (with supreme fun of Tristan and Joey, of course).  
_“Hey, Atem?”_.  
Startled by the sudden return of Yugi in his thoughts, Atem dropped the phone, which fortunately landed on the couch instead of the floor.   
“Yugi! You scared me”, he exclaimed in his mind, picking the phone back up. Dropping it had accidently triggered an attack on the wrong monster, so the one Atem was controlling got destroyed. «Dammit», he muttered to himself, setting up a new set of cards in the following turn.  
_“I didn’t mean to, sorry”_ , Yugi apologized, hinting to materialize in spirit at Atem’s side. His expression was still a little sad, but he seemed to feel better.  
With a pinch of luck, that same evening would be the Pharaoh to return in the Millennium Puzzle instead of him.   
Atem shook his head with a smile, while obliterating his opponent on the app: “Don’t worry. What’s up, partner?”.  
_Yugi shrugged: “Well… why don’t you try to invite Seto, too?”.  
_ “He will refuse, you know it”.  
_“At least try. If we are going tell our friends about our relationship, sooner or later, he have to relate with them outside official Tournaments”.  
_ “I don’t know… he never answers anything on the group chat. Do you really think he would mind me?”.  
Yugi gave another shrug: _“We’ve never tried to reach him specifically. Maybe he will”_.  
“Ok”, Atem agreed, and proceeded to close Duel Links to open the group chat.   
He quickly glanced at the mess of messages in it, mostly the boys trying to agree on how to organize the meet up at the park, and mentioned Seto in conversation.

_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : @Seto Kaiba, would you like to join us, today? A little company could do you good.

The message went over everyone’s head for a while, then its meaning hit.

_Tristan Taylor_ : … what the...  
_Mai Valentine_ : Uhm… Yugi? What the f…  
_Joey Wheeler_ : Did you just invited Seto?! Did he really invite him?!  
_Duke Devlin_ : Unless his phone decided to came alive, Joey…  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : I mean… if it doesn’t create problems…  
_Tea Gardner_ : Of course not! Right, Joey?

The conversation went on for a few minutes, including in the discussion Ryou, Marik and Bakura, and at that point Atem almost gave up. He was just about to close the group chat and get up from the sofa, when Seto’s unexpected reply knocked him out on the spot.

_Joey Wheeler:_ He can come, sure, but if he starts calling me a monkey I’m going to punch him. However, he didn’t show up, so… _  
Seto Kaiba:_ You’d like it, Wheeler.

Atem stared at the screen for a whole minute before replying.

_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Seto? I didn’t expect you to actually show up.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : I have no backlog or anything else to do. And it’s worth bothering someone, especially if it’s a modern reincarnation of a dull monkey.  
_Joey Wheeler_ : Tell me this is a fucking joke.  
_Mai Valentine_ : This time you ended up badly, Joey.

To that, the whole chat agreed with Mai, and Joey disappeared from the conversation with just a very annoyed emoji.   
Atem, for his part, let out a laugh at the theatrically exaggerated reaction of his friend, and even Yugi showed an amused smile. Joey and Seto were no longer in such a tense relationship, but they always managed to fight, most of the times over stupid stuff and for the laughs of their friends.  
A few moments later, the notification of a private conversation appeared a the top of the phone screen with a characteristic ‘ding’, and Atem wasn’t surprised upon noticing the message was from Seto.

_Seto Kaiba_ : Why did you invite me? I have nothing to do with your friends.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Whether you like it or not, you are going to deal with them, Seto. You have to.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : Atem? Is that you?  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Yes, it’s me.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : Yugi is…  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : He’s next to me, no need to worry. Actually, the idea of inviting you was his.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : I should have probably seen it coming.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Are you really going to come or you replied just to annoy Joey?  
_Seto Kaiba_ : As far as staying on Wheeler’s nerves is fun, it’s not the reason why I accepted the invitation.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Fantastic!  
_Seto Kaiba_ : But I will only be there for lunch. Don’t ask me to… socialize with them.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : It’s a start.

The conversation dropped there, and Atem noticed the smile grow bigger on Yugi’s face: although he did not show it very often, his partner always rejoice upon convincing Seto to put aside his self-inflicted loneliness.   
“It went better than expected”, Atem admitted, turning off the phone screen to put the device in his pocket. In the meantime, the clock slipped to half past ten, so he had to hurry.  
_“What did you expect?”_.  
The Pharaoh smiled at Yugi’s question: “An overly angry Joey and ad even more exasperated Seto”.  
After the endless and frightful fights Joey and Seto managed to create between themselves, Yugi had no longer tried to organize meet ups with both Duelists in the same place, at least not too often. He even avoided it when he knew with extreme certainty Seto would not show up.  
“At this rate, the waters will never be calm enough to talk to them about our relationship”, Atem said, locking the door.   
The apparent enmity constantly hovering between Seto and the rest of the group did not make thing easy, both Yugi and Atem understood it clearly.  
_“It’s hard to admit it, but in the end the person who’s creating the most problems is Seto himself. That’s the reason I try to involve him, even though I prefer keeping him away from Joey. If he doesn’t understand our friends can also be his, this damned situation will never improve. However, this cannot last forever. Sooner or later he will have to realize how he’s behaving”_.  
“The difficulty lies exactly in this. I don’t think he can fully comprehend the concept of friendship. But I’m positive you’ll change his mind. You always seem to succeed, partner”.  
With that, the dialogue ended.  
Yugi retreated into the Puzzle to think, leaving their mind link active, and Atem grabbed his Harley’s helmet.  
The year before, when Yugi had bought the motorcycle right after taking the appropriate license, even Marik had taken a while to get used to it.  
Even the Pharaoh himself had to admit is surprise on the matter, but knowing Yugi he should have expected it: no matter how kind and gentle his partner was, Yugi was certainly not the shy and awkward little person many thought of looking at him.  
After glancing at the clock one last time, Atem put the helmet on his head and mounted the bike, starting the engine and driving his way into the small traffic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding the "Ryou, Marik and Bakura" part, I just wanted to point out (again?) that Bakura has his own body and maybe I will tell his story in a separate fanfiction if I will have time (and skill) to do that.  
> Regarding Tristan's job in the police department, I wanted him to be able to protect people, given his many misadventures throughout the series. As for Joey, he just wants to be an eye doctor because of Serenity. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking around, and feel free to left reviews and advices is you want to! Also, share some love with kudos, and if you don't want to, just enjoy the story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just a quick note here. I'm sorry for the delay, I was planning on adding a new chapter every two weeks, but I recently had to deal with the loss of a familiar, and I'm still denial about that. I honestly don't know how this chapter turned out, I wrote it mostly to distract myself and add a little bit of happiness to this horrible time, and I apologize for it. I promise, the next one will be not only better, but will be published on time!

Less than thirty minutes after leaving his house, Atem parked outside the large park he used to meet with his friends and went looking for their favorite picnic table.  
Much to his surprise, Marik and Bakura were already sitting there, involved in a heated conversation with Duke about Dice Monsters. Ryou, however, despite having actively participated in their oline chats, had not yet returned from his trip to England, so he wasn’t present.   
Atem waved, approaching the table: «Hey, guys!».   
«Hi, Yugi!», Bakura greeted him back, waving an arm as well, immediately imitated by the other two.  
The Millennium Ring, no longer as threatening as it was years before, sparkled silently and innocent in the warm sun, swaying from a thin, gold chain.  
Marik squinted at Atem’s face as he approached, but said nothing and just smiled. Bakura did the same.  
_“Did the recognize you?”_.  
“They always succeed on that matter, we know it”, Atem nodded silently at Yugi’s question, fearing the two could reveal the truth to the others.  
However, both the former tomb-keeper and the former grave-robber did not raise the subject. In fact, they suggested the Pharaoh to sit down at the table with them and inserted him immediately into the conversation about Dice Monsters.  
Apparently, Duke was trying to convince both Marik and Bakura to try his game, but they were largely skeptical about it and were refusing to play.  
«Come on, is fun! You just need a little bit of luck, but damn me if the Duel Monsters isn’t all based on luck!».  
Marik shook his head at Duke: «How can you say it’s all based on luck? If you can build a Deck, you can draw what you need. That’s not ‘just luck’».  
«Say that to the three duels you lose against me because you couldn’t draw a good card for your strategy», Bakura replied with a devious smirk.  
To answer that, Marik elbowed him, much to Atem and Duke’s entertainment.

They sat there, arguing playfully whether or not Dice Monsters was a worthy opponent to Duel Mnsters, but only twenty minutes passed before Mai, Joey, Tristan and Tea arrived, all thanks Mai’s car.  
She also parked just outside the park, after finding a really good spot, and they all greeted each other with huge smiles.  
«So, what do we do before lunch?», Tristan asked, nearly throwing himself on the bench next to Duke.  
«And more important, _were_ are we going for lunch?», Mai said, imitating Tristan so she could sit alongside the other two.  
Atem felt the urgent need to facepalm as hard as he could.  
«Oh gods, we have not decided where to eat!», Marik exclaimed, voicing the reason for Atem’s failed facepalm.   
As always, the group was so focused on meeting up that everyone forgot to organize the only thing they decided to do on that day.  
After a brief discussion in which everyone tried to blame the other, a couple of suggestions emerged from the chaos, but eventually Tea turned to Atem: «Do you have any ideas, Yugi?».  
The Pharaoh widened his eyes, taken aback: «M-me?».  
«Well, yes», Tea shrugged. «After all, you did invite Seto, right? He’s not willing to speak to us, and we don’t know what pleases him. Maybe you can suggest something and ask his opinion».  
At the mention of the CEO, Joey exhibited himself into his most theatrical and loud groan, only earning a couple of laughs and Mai’s elbow in the ribs.   
Atem shrugged, condescending: «I suppose I can try. Give me a minute to text him».  
Recovering his cell phone from his pocket, Atem opened the private conversation with Seto and typed a short message.  
Few seconds later, Seto was online and the two started replying to each other, while the rest of the group sank into a random conversation.

 _Yugi ”Pharaoh” Muto_ : Hey, Seto? Do you have any ideas about where to go for lunch. We tried a few places, but… maybe you can suggest a place that’s good for you too.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : I thought you had already decided.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Yeah, well… if you, for once, would read the group chat, you would know we dind’t.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : Typical.

Atem could swear he saw him rolling his eyes by reading that word.

 _Seto Kaiba_ : Are you at least able to meet in a single place or you need help with that too?  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Seto…  
_Seto Kaiba_ : Fine. There is a restaurant not far from there. A ten minutes walk from that park. Sushi and Chinese cuisine.  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : Have you already been there?  
_Seto Kaiba_ : For work. I can say they are quite capable in their kitchen.

That was enough. Seto never approved 100% anything that did not come from his company or this staff (in most cases), so that was more than a compliment.

 _Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : See you there or…?  
_Seto Kaiba_ : Does anyone of your pesky friends know where to go?  
_Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : I don’t know… wait, I’ll ask.

«Hey, guys!», Atem yelled, shifting his friends’ attention on him. «Do you know something about a restaurant nearby?».  
A chorus of negative responses answered his question, so the Pharaoh returned to the chat.

 _Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto_ : No, nobody knows. But you can tell me the name of the restaurant and we will adapt with a map.  
_Seto Kaiba_ : I’ll be there at 12:45. Tell Wheeler to behave like an adult, for once.

And with that, Seto’s disappeared, while the word ‘offline’ appeared under his icon on the app.  
Sighing, Atem caught one again the group’s attention and proceeded to told them the result of the conversation, then glanced at the clock: it was 11:50.  
«Ok, we have a free hour before meeting up with Seto. Any ideas?».  
Bakura took the answer for himself pointing behind him: «How about watching some Duels? Judging by the noise coming, there must be a lot of people in the arena».  
They all agreed willingly, always agreeing with Duel Monsters related ideas, and the group quickly reached the small duel arena in the park, swift to find a clear space to watch the ongoing Duel.  
The arena was nothing special, just a paved area with the classical features painted on the ground. On one side there were seats for the audience, but the rest was just surrounded by grass and flowers.  
There were no screen or any other technological means to take into account score and player, and the latter relied only on their Duel Disk and holograms.  
Overall, a small area created for those who wanted to have fun dueling, without professionalism and outside the big and intimidating dedicated spaces.

Keeping away from the crowd (mostly teenagers and adults) to avoid drawing attention, Atem and his friends watched and commented the Duel oh various pairs of players, having fun guessing their strategies and admiring the different styles of play, even in beginners’ cases.  
At 12:40 Atem, who had kept checking the clock every now and then, warned the group to hurry and they all directed their feet at the park entrance, avoiding a delay by sheer luck.  
At 12:50 sharp, as always, Seto’s black, shiny limousine stopped in front of the park gates, and the CEO of KaibaCorp. got quicly out of the car before sending Roland away with it.  
To both Atem and Yugi’s surprise, at what he understood by the mental link, Seto was wearing neither a suit or his usual flowing white coat.  
Instead, he seemed to have opted for something simpler, a pair of skinny jeans and a white turtleneck sweater, all complemented by an Egyptian pendant hanging from a fine gold chain (Seth’s work, no doubt). And of course, the Millennium Rod, tucked in his belt.  
Like Atem himself, Bakura and Ishizu (after she recovered the Necklace), Seto never felt like leaving his Millennium Item behind.   
Shocked, Atem was left petrified on the spot, as charmed by the person in front of him, and barely noticed the mischievous twinkle in Seto’s eyes before recovering.   
Joey, on the other hand, had the same face of someone who had just swallowed a lemon. Whole.  
«Let’s not prolong this thing more that necessary. The restaurant is ten minutes from here, come with me», the CEO said, eyeing briefly those present before turning his back to them to start walking.  
After clearing his mind, Atem joined him and the others followed soon after, resuming their chats as if no CEO ruined the atmosphere.

The restaurant in which Seto brought them was a very welcoming environment, simple in décor but with a peaceful and calm aura inside it.  
Walls and floors were clear, a stark contrast to the black furniture dotting the uncrowded hall, whit th frenetic activity of waiters serving and cleaning efficiently.   
At the end of the room, Atem noticed an area used as a private lounge, and was not surprise whn Seto went straight in that direction after speaking briefly with the waiter arrived to welcome them as soon as they entered.  
«You never change», he said, slipping on one of two wood benches that flanked the long provate table.  
Seto avoided to answer, but some laughter rose from Mai, Marik and Bakura, who immediately sat down next to the Pharaoh.  
Joey, as predictable, waited for all the others to seat before doing so himself, as far as possible from Seto. He got a glare from Mai, but nothing more than that.  
Atem refrained from complaining as well, and Yugi smiled somewhere inside the Puzzle.  
Updated just like most of Domino’s places, the restaurant used what the Pharaoh tended to call “technological menus”, where is was possible to stack orders by simply tapping on the touch screen of a tablet marked by the table’s number, sending every choice immediately to the kitchen.  
«Everyone, choose what you want to eat, and do it quickly. I’m starving!», Tristan cried out, eyeing the vast selection on the menu.

After what was at least fifteen minutes of suggestions, indecision and finally, decisions taken, Seto sent their orders together with a couple bottles of water and one of wine, and the table proceeded to turn into a buzz of voices and laughter.  
Impatient to finally get his favorite type of sushi, a salmon roll fried just like the tempura’s fried shrimps, Atem poured some soy sauce into his small bowl and began to play with the chopsticks, an elegant pair made of black bamboo, with a very fine gold decoration on the sides.  
«Hey, ….Yugi?».  
The Pharaoh turned to Seto, barely catching the slight hesitation in calling him by the name of his partner; the CEO, unlike the others, was more than able to distinguish the two, at least in the last years.  
«Yes?».  
Seto cleared his throat, making sure not to be heard, and he approached Atem imperceptibly : «I don’t know your commitments for later, but… I wanted to know if… well, if you would like to…».  
«To come to your house?», Atem concluded for him, in the same low and apparently indifferent voice, just enough to be unnoticed by his friends.  
Rigid as a tree trunk, Seto tried his best to nod.  
Atem did his best to avoid chuckling: they had been partners (in a romantic way) for months, even longer if you count the strange period full of confusion they experienced because of the mix of feelings by both them and their Egyptian counterparts, but Seto still felt uncomfortable inviting him to those the CEO refused to call dates.  
Literally, the only times he was able to confront him with his head held high, without embarrassment or agitation, was to challenge him. Work didn’t count.  
«Of course I want to come. After all we didn’t plan anything for the rest of the day», the Pharaoh finally answered, mixing pointlessly the soy sauce with his chopsticks.   
Seto showed a tiny smile, and Atem flashed a bigger one in response.  
About ten minutes later, the waiter brought them their first orders, putting in every free space on the table plates and trays, all neatly occupied by sushi, sashimi and grilled chicken, shrimps and salmon skewers, accompanied by a couple portions of steamed ravioli.  
Marik, who instead had decided to stick to a vegetarian diet after emerging from the tomb, was picking at a bowl full of seaweed waiting for his grilled vegetables and vegetarian spring rolls, the latter ordered together with Tea.  
«Damn, it’s really good!», Mai exclaimed, right after tasting a slice of tuna sashimi, so fresh it literally melted in her mouth white she ate it.  
«It’s true», Tea agreed. «This restaurant was a good choice, Seto», she then turned to the CEO, with a smile of thanks.  
Not knowing how to react, Seto snorted and refrained from answering by stuffing a California roll into his mouth.  
From the recesses of the Puzzle, Yugi began giggling and his demeanor infected Atem, who forced himself to avoid imitating him by grabbing a shrimp of the freshly arrived tempura and biting it.  
In the end, all he could do was burn his tongue with the hot batter and put down the shrimp with a wail, engulfing a whole glass of cold water with teary eyes.   
All the above with an expression and poise certainly not worthy of a century old Pharaoh, which triggered a huge burst of laughter in his friends.

 The lunchtime passed relatively well, with only a few little arguments, but luckily Joey stayed mostly distracted in a conversation with Tristan, and Seto did not pay much attention, preferring to start a conversation of his own with Atem, Marik and Bakura.  
Initially Atem and Yugi were taken aback by the calm Seto showed with the two, especially after all the infamous events that had occurred from Battle City on, but the CEO seemed to have taken quite a liking for the Egyptians, though he would never admit it aloud.  
After all, the two men had brilliant minds, were interested in Duel Monsters enough to make it a common conversation topic, and knew what was like to have a horrible past. All in all, perfect companions for someone like Seto.  
Marik, in particular, despite having embraced fully is Egyptologist nature, still carried out an outstanding network of card trades, no longer illegal but supported by KaibaCorp. itself.  
Seto had well used his sharp eye for business, and by involving Marik in his company he had brought gains to both of them.  
As for Bakura, Atem and Yugi were quite sure Seto endured his company for the additional reason he offered him a continuous source of healthy conflict, both verbally and dueling, and Seto amused himself offending him between the lines, with Seth’s bittersweet comebacks.

Almost two hours later the group left the restaurant, overall satisfied, and everyone resolved to congratulate Seto for the excellent choice, following Tea’s example. Even Joey grunted a ‘thank you’, but not before receiving a swift kick in the shin from Mai.  
«If you have nothing to do, we can go to my shop. We can Duel without people watching that way», Duke suggested, once back in front of the park gates to recover their vehicles.  
Mai’s convertible stood out against the monotony of a handful of gray and white cars, just as appariscent as Marik’s purple motorcycle, parked alongside it.  
Most of them accepted, but Tristan, Marik, Bakura and Atem himself politely declined the invitation, as did Seto.  
«I would like to stay, but I have a long day of work expecting me tomorrow, and it’s better for me to rest a bit more», Tristan apologized, scratching his neck in dismay.  
Joey punched him in the arm: «Rest comes first in the life of a policeman! », he exclaimed cheerfully, making sure he understood there were no problems in avoiding their company for good reasons. «How are you going to catch criminals, otherwise?».  
Atem smiled and shook his head, amazed at how much their friendship had remained steady even after all the years that had passed.  
«I, instead, have business to sort out with Ishizu in a couple hours, and if I lose track of time she will end me. Maybe we could organize a Duel Monsters-themed day, all together again», Marik excused himself, throwing the idea on the spot.  
Bakura shrugged but said nothing; everyone knew he preferred to stay with Marik, even counting his last-minute acceptance of the group.    
It already was a good step forward from the early days of his return in the land of living; the spirit, resentful and bitter, even refused to pronounce the Pharaoh’s of Yugi’s name, except for using them as curse material.  
«And you, Yugi?», said Duke. «Are you coming?».  
Atem shook his head: «I would like to, but I already have something to keep me away. However, I agree with Marik’s idea. A day just for Duel Monsters is not a bad idea», he replied, true to his title of King of Games.  
«That’s a shame», Joey replied. «Oh, well, we’ll make up, surely. See you, guys!».

A few minutes later the only two people left were Atem and Seto, and the latter crosses his arm: «So?».  
«So what?».  
Seto blushed imperceptibly and cleared his throat: «Are you coming or…?».  
Atem laughed: «Sure, but I have to bring the motorcycle back home. If you want, you can follow me. If not, just get picked up by Roland and wait for me».  
«I’ll wait for you», Seto answered immediately, a little too quickly.   
«You know, you really have to realize how absurd you behavior is», the Pharaoh retorted, pushing the helmet of his spiky hair before climbing on his Harley, still being amused.  
Even Yugi was laughing.  
Seto turned his head away, just like a scolded child: «I don’t know what you’re talking about», he said, but Atem clearly saw the muscles of his arms tense.  
In the end, the Pharaoh shook his head and started the engine in the same moment Seto’s limousine stopped a short distance from the sidewalk. «See you soon», he said goodbye with the voice muffled bu the helmet, already on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fried salmon roll is reaaaaally good, I love it.   
> That's it for the final notes.
> 
> Thanks for reading this chapters, as always you are beautiful people for sticking with this work. If you want to left kudos and/or review, I'll be happy about it. If not, I'm also happy you sat back and enjoyed the story. Stay tuned for more, this is a long ride after all!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a hour or so, without realizing it immediately, Yugi finally managed to switch with Atem, and when Seto noticed the light in his eyes becoming less fierce and kinder he could not help but smile.  
> [...]  
> Peaceful, Yugi concentrated on the video game without complaining about the apparent lack of attention he was given: he liked those moments with Seto, calm and quiet as the almost never were.  
> [...]  
> He had just missed them. He locked himself away from those moments, too scared to live them, and he fooled himself on thinking they were a rare occurrence, just to helplessly help his mind.

Before heading to the Kaibas’ mansion, quite far from Domino itself, Atem decided to go home first, so he could recover both Deck and Duel Disk and a change of clothes, and at last the Pharaoh grabbed the backpack Yugi usually went to work with.  
The day after was a work day, after all, and if Atem was staying at Seto’s, there was no reason to come back and then go to the KaibaCorp. building.  
He then spotted Yugi’s grandfather, sitting on the living room couch, watching something on TV. Probably a Duel Monsters related show, or something similar, but Atem couldn’t tell because of the commercial break passing on screen.  
«Hey, grandpa? Don’t wait for me tonight, I don’t think I’ll be back. No need to worry», Atem informed him, raising his voice slightly to overwhelm the TV’s volume.  
Without getting up from the couch, Solomon turned to look over his back: “Are you going to Seto’s house?».  
Atem involuntarily blushed, and the grandfather took the reaction as a clear answer: «See you tomorrow, then», he bid goodbye with a smile, returning to focus his attention on the screen.  
Surprised, Atem also sensed Yugi’s moderate wonder: Solomon had never shown that kind of approval to Seto, much less when Yugi had faced the situation head-on and talked to him about his love relationship with the CEO and president of the KaibaCorp, less than a year before.  
“Is it me, or something is not adding up?”, Atem asked Yugi, so startled he had to force himself not to speak out loud.  
If Yugi’s spirit could have shrugged from the Puzzle, he would have done it: “ _Yeah, something feels off… he never behaved like that… I have no idea. Let’s go, we’ll figure that out eventually_ ”.

After a relatively short trip, aided by the lucky lack of traffic, Atem parked his motorbike not far from the mansion’s entrance door, careful not to accidentally ruin the perfectly tended garden when he stepped off of it.  
The mansion was a huge building that majestically stood against the clouding sky, all surrounded by a beautiful garden with bright green grass, flowers and tall trees. Atem smiled at the memory of his first time viewing the mansion, a place with so many bad memories in it transformed in a quiet living place for the Kaiba brothers. Seto never indulged on his past, never told much about his abusing step-father, and both Atem and his modern counterpart never asked more. Instead, they smiled at every instance of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon décor, pieces of Seto’s proud mind overwhelming the places regarding which his memories were worse.  
The sun rays leaking through the clouds gently caressed plants and flowers, and threw metallic reflection on the tall gate that had just closed behind him with a slight thud.  
Lost in thoughts Atem approached the door, but before he could raise a hand and knock on it, one side of the double door was opened by Seto himself, who had probably heard the motorbike’s fierce roar.  
The man was no longer wearing the previous turtleneck, but a short-sleeved, black plain T-shirt, wrapped around him so tightly it almost looked spray-painted.   
Atem’s eyes lingered less that a brief moment on the indistinct scars on his neck, accustomed to them even if not in peace with their story, and smiled: «Don’t you want to let me in?».  
Without answering, Seto moved away just enough to make room for the Pharaoh to pass through, and immediately closed the door behind him, as if he feared some intruder could suddenly enter his house.  
He didn’t miss to notice the backpack on Atem’s shoulder, nor the fact that he was probably staying the night, but he didn’t point that out.  
Instead, he ducked his head towards the stairs: «We can go upstairs if you like. Talking a bit in front of a video game», Seto suggested, hoping for an affirmative answer.   
Aside from the “kind of” date, he needed to know, to realize the whole situation going on with Yugi.  
If Atem had in fact noticed his worry, mixed with the usual pinch of embarrassment Seto could not drive away in any way, he chose not to show it.  
He rather widened his smile and nodded: «Of course».  
Upstairs, the small living room the Kaiba brothers had turned into an incredible gaming room was a profusions of various consoles and controllers, both old and new generation, with other worldwide known brands mixed with their own.  
The shelves lining the walls were crammed with dozens of videogames, all sorted by type, series and name, stacked in such a way as to almost replicate the books in a library.  
Even various consoles no longer used occupied the shelves, shiny as if they were new despite the disuse, accompanied by their respective controllers with to cable mess in sight.  
Under the huge LED screen of the TV, however, the furniture shelves on which it was balanced housed the most recent consoles developed by KaibaCorp, and several video games just released, including the one that, after a single play, had become Mokuba’s favorite horror adventure.  
There were also some older game, and Atem recognized in the pile both Outlast and Until Dawn, two titles he had greatly appreciated, despite the misadventures with the poor protagonists of the latter, who died horrible deaths in both Yugi’s and Atem’s playthrough.   
The Pharaoh lightly chuckled at Yugi’s unorthodox method of taking revenge on the game, such as starting over again when he was almost at the end, refusing to finish it unless with all the characters safe and sound, and he heard his partner mumble a protest.  
“I should have recorded that. It was a **YouTube*** worthy reaction to dying characters in a video game”.  
_“Shut up. As If you did not play the whole game again after finishing it, just to try and save everyone that time. It didn’t even work”_.  
Seto snapped Atem out of a comeback by dropping on the couch in front of the television screen, and the Pharaoh did the same, close enough to touch him with every movement, but not enough to make him uncomfortable. Despite the deep caring Seto had for both Atem and Yugi, he was still a little uneasy with someone constantly touching him, even them. He had crossed a huge mountain with their first time, but Atem wanted to give him his own time to adapt.  
Unaware of the sweet look Atem was giving him, Seto threw him a controller and the two began to play, soon immersing themselves in one of their favorite fantasy adventures, leaving comments here on there on the playing style and on the game itself.  
After a hour or so, without realizing it immediately, Yugi finally managed to switch with Atem, and when Seto noticed the light in his eyes becoming less fierce and kinder he could not help but smile.  
He still had not received the explanation he wanted, but he didn’t bother on raising that up: Yugi was back, and that was fine. Eventually, Yugi would bring everything up by himself, he thought.  
«Yugi…?».  
The other man took a moment to realize he was back in his body, while Atem was back in the Puzzle, and again a constant presence in his mind. Because of that, he ended up distracting himself and his character on the screen fell down from the mountain side, dying in the span of three seconds.  
«Oh, damn it!», he exclaimed, seeing where the character respawned.   
Unfailingly, Seto laughed under his breath, and Yugi put the controller aside with a half frustrated, half amused sigh. He was still shocked by his sudden shifting, and decided to try and curl up against Seto. He would step back in any moment if the man didn’t want physical contact, but Seto put aside the controller for a moment to surround Yugi’s shoulder with one arm, before picking the controller back up and returning his attention to the game on-screen.  
Peaceful, Yugi concentrated on the video game without complaining about the apparent lack of attention he was given: he liked those moments with Seto, calm and quiet as the almost never were.

Then, he realized that wasn’t true.   
Those moments were frequent, almost every time he would come by they played, and occasionally cuddle (even if Seto would die before admit he cuddled). They just… stopped.   
Yugi realized he was not lacking them. He had just missed them. He locked himself away from those moments, too scared to live them, and he fooled himself on thinking they were a rare occurrence, just to helplessly help his mind.  
Yugi also suddenly understood why his grandfather had shown so much indulgence, and the reason behind the almost imperceptible delighter surprise he sensed in Seto’s voice after accepting to spend the day with him.  
“This… this is the first time in months we came back here. I did not realize it”, he said to Atem, saddened.  
Even the Pharaoh seemed to understand the whole situation at that moment, judging by the disturbed confusion and astound he transmitted his host before answering: _“It must not have been easy for him… damn it, how could I be so blind?_ ”.  
“It’s my fault”, Yugi replied. “I blinded you with my emotions, and because of my foolishness, I kept on making mistakes, and you had no choice but follow them”.  
Then, before giving Atem time to answer that statement, he called the other man out: «Seto?».  
He answered with a monosyllable.  
«I’m sorry».  
Seto immediately stopped at those words, apparently not caring for the dragon which had just threw his characters off screen.  
He put the controlled aside and, without disentangling their half hug, turned to look Yugi in his eyes, bright violet eyes already showing hints of sadness and guilt in their recesses.  
And instead of responding with words, the man gently took Yugi’s face with his free hand and bent over to kiss him gently, without haste, showing a sensitivity the world had never known in Seto Kaiba’s image, reserved only for the people he loved most in his life.  
«Don’t say it, Yugi. Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault, and it will never be», he whispered then, without moving away, deeply breathing Yugi’s smell, sweet and spicy at the same time, allegory of his duality in the world.   
Seto had often wondered if he too had that same essence, that duplicity on sensations symbolizing not only him, but also his past life, but he didn’t indulge on that.  
Instead, he extended his other arm behind Yugi’s back and tightly hugged him, a hug immediately returned, and as much as he forced himself to control his emotions, a few tears escaped his control, sliding unseen on his cheeks. He loved Atem, more than he cared to admit, so much he tried to bring him back so many times before his return, but… Yugi was something else. Yugi was the cheerful and gentle side he lost years before, he was the missing piece in his soul. Yugi was the final fragment of his shattered heart.  
«I missed you, Yugi. I missed you so much...», a whisper almost lost in Yugi’s poofed rebellious hair. «I love you».  
Yugi hid his face in the crook of Seto’s neck and finally, wrapped in the warmth of that embrace and those simple words, he felt at home again.

In the evening, about an hour and a half before dinner, Seto turned off the TV and put aside the controller, together with their console: «How about a Duel?».  
Yugi nodded, sliding out the blanket he was sharing with Seto: «I never refuse a Duel, you know me», he replied willingly, recovering Deck and Duel Disk from the backpack at the foot of the couch.  
Seto then took his stuff in his room and together they got down two flight of stairs, to the Duel Arena the CEO had built in the basement.  
It was small, just large enough to accommodate the Duelists and a couple of spectators, but it had nothing to envy to other professional arenas in terms of equipment and technology. It was even equipped with a huge holographic system capable of changing the scenery around them.  
System that Seto did not fail to activate, earning an amused puff from Yugi as the walls changed to resemble a full vision of the Colosseum. Again.  
«You know, I won’t be surprised if sooner or later you will present yourself in Italy, demanding a Duel in the real Colosseum. I would pay to see you kicked out of there, because trust me, not even a music queen could use it as a stage», he sneered, fiddling with the headgear of the Duel Disk Seto built for him.  
The young CEO hooked his own to his wrist, and Yugi noticed he had modified it, reintegrating an actual blade instead of the previously virtual one, which included the return of his actual cards instead of the inconsistent virtual copies he had used up to that point.  
«Ready, Yugi?», he asked, activating his Duel Disk.   
The device took care of shuffling the Deck in his place, and Yugi nodded while imitating him in activating the Duel Disk.  
His Deck was shuffled in the same way, and a few moments later drew five cards each. Yugi peered at his hand: the Dark Magician, faithful companion, was smiling at him.   
Yugi began first, drawing a card, and the Duel went on for an hour, seeing both men concentrated not only on the field in front of their eyes, but also on each other.

 

«So… who won?».  
Mokuba, still wrapped in a tight white suit complete with the KaibaCorp. logo on jacket collar, left his briefcase on the kitchen floor, glaring at the two men sitting at the table while drinking a cup of hot tea. Earl Gray, judging by the aroma perceived in the air.  
Without even wondering how Mokuba knew about their Duel (by now he just knew they would Duel at nay given moment), Yugi laughed under his breath before answering: «Can’t you imagine it?».  
«Just because you used your damn Dark Magician of Chaos combined with Book of Secret Art and Yami to banish my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If you had not removed her from play…».  
«You would have Summoned your dear Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and destroyed me», Yugi concluded for him. «Always the same».  
Mokuba snorted, but Seto didn’t answer with one of his usual comebacks. The shadow of a smile became alive on his face; he was happy to hear Yugi’s harsh but playful comments after that long period of unexplained uncertainty and apprehension.  
He then turned to face his brother: «Where have you been? It’s Sunday, you shouldn’t work».  
«Look who’s talking», Mokuba remarked, revealing a bright amethyst colored shirt after taking off his immaculate jacket. «I don’t accept this kind of scolding from you».  
«Fair enough».  
Yugi snorted, getting up to retrieve another cup to give Mokuba some tea: «Fair enough, yes, but Seto’s right. Where have you been?  You usually never work on weekends».  
Mokuba shrugged, thanking Yugi when he placed a cup filled with steaming tea in front of him, and took care to sweeten it before answering: «A couple of sponsors wanted to know something more about the new campaigns of our RPG, and since I had nothing better to do, I agreed to meet them today. They left satisfied, I have to say, but they tried to insist on merging our RPG with Monster World. Needless to say, I refused. They didn’t even contact Ryou beforehand. In the end, they just accepted their previous deal».  
His expression was more than proud, and Yugi could not deny his incredible expertise in what he was doing; in just a few years, despite already being it, he had assumed the role of vice president full time, soon abandoning his childish behavior.   
Only five years before, despite being sixteen, he still was immature despite his brilliant intelligence, and Yugi was amazed by the sudden, but good, change.  
Now, being twenty-one, he had managed to gain experience and skills worthy of a man doing the same job for decades, with very little effort, also thanks to Seto’s teachings.  
«Glad to hear it, Mokuba. You handled the situation well, but you should inform Ryou about it», Seto said, who never seemed to stop being impressed by his brother’s abilities.   
In his eyes, he continued to be the child he fostered, the little person who had been with him even in the darkest moments.  
«Indeed», Yugi chimed, getting up again from his chair to put both his empty cup and Seto’s in the sink.  
In that, the Kaiba’s cook entered the kitchen from the back door, which led into the house wing reserved for the staff.  
«Misters Kaiba, Mister Muto», he greeted courteously. «Do you have any preferences for dinner?».  
Seto shook his head, after a quick glance to Mokuba and Yugi: «No, we’ll leave it to you. Cook whatever you like», he replied.  
«Very well, Mr. Kaiba. I’ll call you once everything is ready».  
Seto nodded, thanked the cook and then dragged his brother and Yugi out of the kitchen, leaving him free to work without distractions.   
Not knowing what to do while waiting, Seto and Yugi dropped on the living room adjacent to the dining room and Mokuba disappeared upstairs in his room to change into comfy clothes, complaining about how it was annoying to be forced wearing a full formal suit to a sponsor meeting.

Dinner was relatively quiet, with Mokuba as the main protagonist in full story mode: he was talking to the attentive and curious ears of Yugi and his brother, telling them the many questions the sponsors had asked him, insisting a lot on the Duel style inserted in to KaibaCorp RPG.  
Listening amused on how Mokuba had needed no less than six attempts before successfully explaining the exact function of a Deck Master, a game mechanic Mokuba wanted to add for Noah, Yugi took his sweet time to eat his portion of Sayadeya, not surprised anymore by how much the Egyptian cuisine had med his favor in recent years.  
Since the Ishtar had invited him, alongside Seto, to Luxor (where they all had managed to set up a splendid exhibition on the history of Egypt during the 18th dynasty) both had developed a wide preference for traditional Egyptian cooking, and Seto had immediately instructed his staff upon the return to prepare those dishes.  
Yugi had often received more than positive feedbacks from Atem about it, a still amusing thing, even more because he certainly didn’t eat the same cuisine in the past.  
«Well, what matters is they are convinced they’ve accepted the deal of their lives, even if I’m pretty sure not even one of them understood a word of what I explained. Really, Duel Monsters related sponsors should at least know the damn game», Mokuba concluded, finally deciding to eat his chanpurū, preferring the Japanese cuisine to the Egyptian one.  
«Just be thankful you don’t have to deal with Duel Links sponsors. They are the worst», Seto remarked, pouring himself a glass of Egyptin beer, the bouza, which in Egypt was still prepared with method not different from the past. «To make them understand the basics of Fusion Summons I had to schedule a meeting with Jaden Yuki. And even then he didn’t understand it. I swear, I have to make all our sponsors Duel Monsters classes, one day or another».  
He also poured a glass for Yugi, who thanked him before taking a long sip.  
Among all the vices they had taken from their ancient spirits, that was by far the most interesting; Seto had that particular beer shipped straight from Egypt, and shared it not only with Yugi, but surprisingly also with Marik and Bakura, and the men highly appreciated the drink. Especially the former King of Thieves. Seto often relied on Seth’s advice to choose what type to order, and he was never left disappointed.

Half an hour later, when dinner was over, the Kaiba brothers and Yugi had returned to the soft living room couch, watching a movie put on by Mokuba.  
With a satisfied sigh, Yugi attempted moving closer to Seto and he hugged the smaller one, squeezing his body with his head just over the constant beating of his living heart.   
Yugi muttered something in middle Egyptian, the ancient Pharaoh’s language, and Seto hid is face in the soft and shapeless mass of tricolor hair, paying little attention to the movie and more to the light chattering exchanged with the man in his arms.  
Mokuba let them be, concentrating on the television without hiding a soft smile, but some time later he finally left the movie-watching quest and took his leave for the night, wishing both Yugi and his brother goodnight before heading to his room.

An hour later, when the movie was over, Yugi had long fallen asleep, curled up against Seto, wrapped in a warm, safe and comfortable hug.  
Half hidden by his untamable hair, his face was completely serene and a slight unconscious smile curled his lips; when Seto started to move, he murmured a quiet protest, cowering even more against the CEO.  
Seto could not help but smile at that sight, proceeding to bend down and whisper in his ear: «Come on, Yugi. It’s late, let’s go to bed», he said, then leaving a delicate kiss on his cheek.  
Yugi shifted a little in his embrace, but gave no sign of wanting to move.  
Without losing his sweet smile, Seto shook his head at Yugi’s stubbornness, and decided to pick him up. «You know, you’re not a child. Don’t get used to this», he said while taking him to the bedroom, paying close attention to every single step as he climbed the stairs, dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the windows.  
A few minutes later, Seto deposited him on the soft double bed he had in his room (their room, at that point), and let him sleep for another while, moving to the adjacent bathroom so he could brush his teeth.  
Shortly after returning, Seto replaced his clothes with pajamas and forced Yugi to do the same, reluctantly and without even opening his eyes.  
Once changed, Seto welcomed him under the covers and Yugi nuzzled in his arms, sadly murmuring but resuming his unconscious smile when the other man hid his face in the fluffy hair, affectionately rubbing his nose against his forehead.  
«Seto…», Yugi grumbled in his sleep, moving even closer.   
For his part, Seto laughed silently, and after looking at him one last time, surprised by both Yugi’s improved demeanor and his own, he let himself being carried away from sleep, grateful that things, even slowly, would finally start returning in their place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I'm looking at you, Markiplier
> 
> About the Egyptian food and beer, I did a some researches on them, but if something's off, feel free to tell me. I'm always happy to learn something new.  
> On a serious note, what Seto's experiencing about touching and stuff is the same I feel about it. I know some people cannot stand being touched because of various reasons, but since I didn't want something too serious in here (the main topic will be enough by itself) I just added my personal behavior regarding it, because I always imagined Seto reacting like that. If you see a lot of touching between them, it's because I'm nearly always comfortable with people I trust, and that's reflecting on my vision of him.
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking it, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short note before you start reading: if you are following the story, and didn't check it on 16/09/2018, aka Sunday, this is not that chapter. I'm just saying this because this particular chapter was to be added in two weeks, following my twice a month schedule of posting chapters, but I had it ready and needed to get it done quickly.   
> This because, without having to worry about this one, I can easily write the next two chapter, which are going to be more difficult for me to deal with.   
> So, if you are tuning in after the scheduled uploading, be aware that this is not the chapter you're looking for. Read first the one before this.  
> Sorry for the hassle, and good reading!

Seto and Yugi’s alarm clocks rang in unison at six o’clock in the morning, populating the dimly lit bedroom of the two different and contrasting melodies; a sharp trill the first, a soft sound the latter.  
With an irritated groan, Seto lifted one arm and reached for his cell phone on the bedside table, connected to its power cord, and another groan (this time sleepy) told him Yugi was awake and had just done the same thing.   
A few moments later, the room fell back into silence, only disturbed by the repetitive chirpings of birds that, thanks to the lush mansion’s garden, were perched every day on the tree branches.  
Although reluctant to leave the inviting embrace and warmth of the sheets, Seto sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes with one hand and hiding a huge yawn with the other, before deciding to get up and open the curtains.  
The electric light of the street lamps placed around the mansion, while being able to easily pass through the window no longer shielded by the heavy white curtains, was not strong enough to flood the room, but just enough to wrest a second protest from Yugi. The young man tried to turn away, covering his head with the sheets, but a brief time later he finally decided to imitate Seto, and sat up straight on the bed, still half covered.  
Rubbing his eyes, Yugi took a few seconds to register his whereabouts, bewildered by the absence of his skylight and of all the junk and collectibles usually infesting his room, but after returning on board, he immediately turned to Seto, whose slender figure stood out against the outside incoming light.  
«Hey», Yugi said, his voice still hoarse because of sleepiness.  
Amazed, he realized he had slept peacefully, for the first time in weeks, and blushed in thinking how much, the night before, he felt safe and protected in Seto’s arms, cradled by his heartbeat and his breath. His forced isolation, both physical and psychological, surely swept away that feeling, leaving his prey of horrible nightmares. That thought made him sight.  
«Are you okay?» was Seto’ s immediate question, sweetly posed but contaminated with imperceptible apprehension. Yugi’s slight discomfort had not been missed.  
Yugi shook his head, but smiled: «Okay? No. But better that I lately was? Yes», he replied. «Apparently, I really needed to come back here», he then added.  
Seto sat down next to him and replied with a light and gentle kiss, just a touch of lips against lips: «You did not need to come back _here_. You needed to find what you lost. Find yourself».  
«Then, I must have left a part of me here with you», was the immediate reply, so immensely honest it made Seto’s heart ache, as he blushed and held Yugi tight, before he could notice the tears popping in the CEO’s eyes at those words, overwhelmed by raw emotions.  
«I don’t know what exactly drove me to get away from everyone», Yugi said, head bowed, when Seto released him from the embrace. «It’s just… after what happened, I was scared. Deadly scared. And that fear told me and repeated not to let anyone touch me, not to let anyone anywhere near me. He suggested loneliness, but being alone… I had no defense against my own mind. Atem tried to help me, he took my place when being asked, never asked too many questions. But my life… my mind was closed and unreachable even for him. Somehow, not even my own awareness wanted to allow the Pharaoh, a part, literally a part of myself, to understand».  
He sighed, clutching his arms around himself, and stopped a while before continuing: «I was obviously never alone, because I no longer dare to take the Puzzle off if I can avoid it, you know that. I only took it off to sleep, but I always have it close to me. But… I felt like I was. To me, it seemed no one was with me. Even if my friend, my grandfather… you, Seto, were always there, I somehow didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to accept it. This all started after I woke up in the hospital, when the memory of… when the pain was still vivid. And it only proceeded to get worse. I relived the same thing, night after night, nightmare after nightmare, over and over again with no exception, and with every day that passed I was more and more sure I had no one by my side. If Atem wasn’t part of me, unknowingly making me master of my own action just enough to avoid disasters, I don’t think I would be here now».  
«Yugi…»  
Pushing away the unwanted tears threatening to fall, Yugi smiled again: «I didn’t want to put all this on your shoulders, Seto. That’s why I didn’t tell you, not even with a phone call. The problem is… After the first incident, it was not that difficult coming back as I was before. Well, maybe not exactly as before, but you know what I mean.  
However, after what happened the second time I got in trouble… I don’t think I can do it. I can’t come back with myself alone. Not without you».  
«Oh, Yugi…».  
Seto enclosed him again in his arms, more gently this time, and tried several times replying to Yugi’s words, to make him understand he would never leave him alone. But he was not able to. Instead, incredibly grateful to have received a long awaited explanation, despite imagining how hard it should have been for him, he heard himself whispering: «Dewa-netjer en-ek», in Ancient Egyptian, the old language fluent and natural as if it was his native one. So as to make clear not only to Yugi, but also to the Pharaoh, how much Seto was grateful.  
Finally, Yugi forced the spell to break: «We should get ready, Imi-ib», he said, reluctantly sliding away from Seto’s embrace.  
The still had a work day to deal with, and Yugi didn’t want Seto to spend it at home just because of his issues.  
«Damn it, you’re right», Seto replied, begrudgingly as well.   
Sighing, he got again out of bed to get around it and directing his feet to the adjacent bathroom, turning around just after opening the door: «You’re not coming?».  
«Give me a minute», Yugi replied, throwing away the sheets.  
With an nod, Seto closed the door behind him and Yugi immediately heard him turning on the shower to heat the water.  
_“Is something wrong, partner? You know, you could have waited a little longer before talking about it”_.  
Yugi shook his head: “No, I… I would have not solved anything by waiting. It’s been two months, it’s enough. You are worried, Seto is worried, and I can’t even imagine how my grandfather must feel. I took off from my shoulders a weight I didn’t actively know I was carrying this way. However…”.  
_“However?”_.  
“I don’t think this is enough. Maybe I should talk with someone more experienced. But coming back here, talking about it aloud with Seto… I think I might have opened my eyes only now”. The man got out of bed, stretching both arms over his head: “We’ll see how the situation evolves, and then I’ll choose how to deal with it”.  
Stumbling toward the bathroom door, Yugi blinked several times to wipe away the last residues of sleep on him and lowered the handle, immediately greeted by a wave of hot steam, whose swirls invaded the large private bathroom and misted the mirror.  
«Don’t miss!», Seto warned Yugi, just before throwing him his toothbrush.  
Yugi caught it on the fly and carefully brushed his teeth, squinting to look at himself in the mirror. In the end, defeated, he raised his hand to wipe the surface and be able to see his reflection on it.  
His hair were more of a mess that usual and Yugi still had the pillow marks on the cheek, but the relaxed night sleep had worked wonders.  
As soon as Yugi turned off the sink faucets, Seto waved to the shower, whose water temperature was now perfect: «Do you want to join me or…?».  
Yugi nodded, and Seto removed his pajamas with fluid movements before moving in the shower. He glared at him, and Yugi soon took off his own clothes to join him, subsequently closing the sliding glass doors to hold both the water and its beneficial heat inside.   
During the first time the showered together, long before they dared to try making love, Seto still could not bear Yugi’s close proximity; he was so embarrassed, insecure and self conscious he could not even speak, let alone think. He was almost made uneasy by Yugi’s proximity, whose body was not scarred by dozens of scars, and Seto literally rushed out as soon as he had the chance.   
After that particular event, Seto had tried to actually avoid Yugi, fearing to have offended or hurt him with his behavior, but his companion had proved to be patient and understanding, and didn’t put weight on the matter. He knew Seto was not used to being close to other people, with just Mokuba’s exception, and a progressively developing romantic relationship had put a strain on his nerves, so he let him progress one little step at a time, without hurrying the man.  
Now, Seto trusted Yugi enough he could almost always be near him, without withdrawing so often at his touch.  
In the end, however, the biggest problem in their relationship were Seto’s pride and absurd stubbornness, two things still able to put him in trouble with the most common stuff, like inviting Yugi out on a date or, as Mokuba defined them, assuming the classic “boyfriend behavior”, but he was slowly getting there.  
«What are you thinking about?», Yugi asked, already busy shampooing his hair.  
Seto hugged him, dragging his companion directly under the hot water flow in doing so, and did not answer. He merely bent down enough to kiss him, and whispered three simple words on his lips: «Mw I Tw».  
He then let Yugi go, grabbed the nearest shower gel bottle, and finally gave a sense to that shower.

 

Twenty minutes later, Seto was already wearing one of his usual suits (white, a color he always preferred), while Yugi was still trying to dry his hair, waving a hairdryer left and right. Another ten minutes later, after succeeding in completely drying his tricolored pointy hair, Yugi threw himself headfirst into his backpack, looking for and then pulling out the spare clothes he had brought with him.  
It wasn’t a suit, because Yugi could not bear to wear a shirt, jacket and tie set everyday like Seto; instead, he had opted for a pair of his usual black pants and a long-sleeve shirt of the same color, on which the pure gold of the Millennium Puzzle stood out vividly.  
His old jacket, which (although being part of his high school uniform) had become his signature piece of clothing over time, would have completed the simple outfit only to counter the fall cold air, increasingly annoying in the morning. To finish off, Yugi threw in the look a pair of earrings and his habitual make-up.   
Shortly after, Mokuba knocked on the door: «Come on, Roland is waiting for us downstairs», he said, to warn them.  
Consequently, Seto glanced at his expensive wristwatch: it was almost 7:30 pm, and they had to arrive at KaibaCorp. headquarters at 8:00 pm.  
Perfect timing.

 

The day went on normally, without events worthy of note. The “Legendary Dragon” programming had entirely passed in the hands of Yugi’s team for the day, and Yugi himself had decided to take care of updating the latest Duel Links’ inventories and servers. He needed a quiet time, just for those working hours. From the next day on, he would help his team, alternating between the videogame and other stuff. He wanted to leave more action room to those who were experienced in that field, after all, so he could avoid unnecessary mistakes.  
Mokuka went to greet him after lunch break, and remained a little to chat and what not, but otherwise the last hours of Yugi’s work day saw no interruptions or other people’s company.  
That evening, after having finished his shift as usual at 6:00 pm, Yugi found Seto waiting for him in the entrance hall, sitting in a armchair and reading something on his work tablet.  
On hearing approaching footsteps, Seto looked up from the device and turned off the screen, interrupting his reading of a document sent by the sponsor of the “Legendary Dragon”. He quickly caught his attention: «Want to stay for dinner?».  
At the unusual calm of the offer, Yugi frowned: «Did Mokuba suggest it?».  
Seized on the spot, Seto sank in the soft armchair: «Damn it», he mumbled.  
Amused, Yugi let his kind laughter reach Seto’s ears before shrugging: «If _you_ would have suggested it from the beginning, you would have not been so casual». He then winked at him: «But you’re getting better at it».  
Besides, after thinking about it for a second, Yugi decided to accept the invitation and stay for dinner at the mansion before going home; after all, his motorbike was still there were he had left it.  
So, while Roland zigzagged in traffic, driving the black limousine, he took care of calling his grandfather, to tell him not to worry and not be alarmed.  
Fortunately, the old man answered at the second ring: «Hey, grandpa?».  
The voice of Solomon Muto, as usual abrupt but gentle, clashed trough the phone speakers almost instantly: «Yugi, why are you calling? Are there problems?».  
Upon noticing the worry in his grandfather’s voice, Yugi hastened to lighten the call: «No, no. I just wanted to tell you I’m going to be late. I’m already on the way to Seto’s house. Don’t wait for me for dinner», he said, infusing a smile in his words.  
«Still staying at Seto’s, eh? Good for you».  
While acknowledging the inside rhetoric of the question, Yugi replied affirmatively: «Yes, I’m staying there. I’ll be back before 10:00 pm, I promise. I’ll see you at home», he then said goodbye, waiting to hear his “bye” before ending the call.  
_“He’s more and more understanding”_ , Atem said, emphasizing the obvious impression Yugi also had. _“All considered, it’s still a beautiful thing”_.  
“Yeah, All considered”.  
Yugi didn’t want to give so little credit to his grandfather, but he was painfully sure if it had not been for the last weeks, the old man would have never made such an effort to understand how the young CEO was important in the King of Games’ life. Solomon was sympathetic, but he never liked Seto that much, especially because of their first (and devastating) encounter.  
«Are you all right, Yugi? You’re awfully quiet».   
Seto’ voice roused Yugi from his thoughts, and he nodded: «Just thinking. Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing. My mind was wondering». He then smile mischievously: «Hey, Seto?».  
«Mh?».  
«How likely are your cooks to agree making mesakaa for dinner?».  
Seto crossed his arms, looking at Yugi sideways: «Likely enough, if you beat me in a Duel».  
«Oh my gods». Mokuba let out an exasperated snort, but smiled: «Duel as much as you want, but leave me out of your damned Egypt obsession».  
At that, both men laughed.

 

After Yugi’s victory in the Duel and dinner (Mokuba had once opted for a Japanese dish), the youngest Kaiba tried to convince Yugi to stay a little longer, at least for an Overwatch game, with which he was developing a more than insane obsession, but the man politely refused: «Maybe another time, Mokuba. I promised grandpa to come back early, and I don’t want to make him worried».

«Ah, pity», Mokuba pouted, but he then shrugged: «Alright, next time, are you coming, Seto?», he asked his brother.  
The CEO smiled at his little brother and nodded:«Start the game. I’ll join you».  
Capturing the allusion, Mokuba darted out of the dining room and up the stairs to their game room, leaving Yugi and Seto alone.   
A few moments later, Seto accompanied Yugi to the door and carefully handed him his backpack, watching as he cautiously put it on his shoulders, taking care not to rattle the computer and Duel Disk inside of it.  
Then, even if unable to prevent the blood from rushing to his face, Seto leaned forward to steal a quick kiss from Yugi, who stood on his tiptoes to be able to return it. He then cleared his throat a little, blushing red but barely turning his gaze away from those eyes that never failed to enchant him, whether being the deep and gentle Yugi’s ones, or the proud and ardent Atem’s ones. «See you tomorrow, then»  
Yugi smiled affectionately and squeezed Seto’s hand between his own before opening the door and head out: the cold evening air, though shielded by the jacket he was wearing, made him shiver.  
The bright street lamps glowed whitish on tree leaves and grass, and outlined the white bricks driveway.  
His motorcycle was exactly where it was left, parked on the edge of the driveway to avoid being a problem.  
Yugi pulled the Harley’s keys out of his pocket and climbed on the bike, smiling again at Seto before stuffing his poofy hair in the helmet: «As usual, Imi-ib», he replied, starting the engine shortly after. The vehicle came to life with a deafening and proud roar.  
Seto waited before closing the door, eyes glued on Yugi’s back as he watched his motorbike disappear through the mansion’s gate. Then, with a half-relieved half-worried sigh, the CEO closed the door and headed upstairs, where Mokuba was waiting for him.

 

 

When Yugi arrived at home, after parking the motorbike in the garage and leaving his shoes downstairs, he climbed into the living and fell dead weight on the couch.  
Tired, despite the day had been much less stressful than usual, he mumbled a “hello” to his grandfather, settled in the near armchair.  
The television was running an old TV show of which Yugi had only seen a couple of episodes, a story about ghosts and a woman capable of seeing and hearing them, but he could not recall its name.  
Solomon turned down the television volume, taking advantage of a commercial break, and looked at his nephew: «Heavy day?».  
«Not quite. My team did most of the job today, I only took a look at their progress while taking care of Duel Links. I’ll have to work harder, that’s for sure, but once the video game is finished, it’ll be worth it». Yawning, Yugi stretched out his arms and grabbed a box of snacks his grandfather had left open on the living room coffee table; satisfied, he fished the remaining crackers inside of it and gulped them down before speaking again: «How did it go in the shop?».  
«As usual, full of Duelists and games lovers. Nothing special», grandpa answered, with a big smile on his face. «Have you had a nice evening?»  
Yugi stared at him for a while, perplexed, but then shrugged: «Yes, you can’t get bored at the Kaiba mansion. However – he added – it’s better to stay calm and in tranquility at this point. I’ve lived enough adventures and misadventures for a lifetime, and the same counts for you too».  
«All right», Yugi then said, standing up from the couch: «Another day of work awaits me tomorrow, so I’ll better go to sleep».  
«Goodnight, Yugi», wished Solomon. «I hope I get to see _you_ , tomorrow morning».  
Yugi frowned at the bizarre goodnight, starting to leave the living room without adding anything else and already thinking about the huge amount of work and responsibility he would carry on himself from the next day onwards, but an observation from Atem froze him on the spot.  
_“Hey, partner…? I think your grandfather knows about us”_.  
“What… Are you saying he…?”.  
Did he realize it?  
Yugi quickly re-examined his grandfather’s exaggerated agreement, his undisguised preoccupation, and the obvious relief that, although Yugi threw it away as foolish imagination, he had seen on his face as soon as the young man crashed into the living room. He thought about the huge smile he had while talking to him.  
It was possible that…  
«Hey, grandpa?».  
The voice came out less fierce that he wanted.   
If indeed Solomon had been able to recognize the difference between Yugi and Atem, he must have been consumed with worry. And not only in those days, but much more in the long period started two months earlier, in which Yugi continuously sealed himself in the Puzzle while exchanging place with Atem at totally random time intervals, to avoid facing reality.  
Who knew how the old man could have felt, constantly watching as his nephew, the same boy he had seen growing up and whom he had given so many good moments, refused to live his life, sending forward in his place an ancient spirit disappeared from existence millennia ago. What could he have thought when seeing Atem in everyday and family moments, even when Yugi’s mother came to visit in a short break from her job?  
Upon noticing the turn Yugi’s thoughts were taking, Atem rushed to contain the accidental damage he had caused: _“Partner? No, don’t torment yourself. It was not my intention…”_.  
Yugi ignored the Pharaoh and abruptly blocked his voice mid-sentence, shaking his head as if the movement could ward off both Atem and the bad memories, but shortly after he felt guilty for that kind of behavior.  
“Sorry, Pharaoh. It’s not your fault”, he apologized, mortified. “However…”.  
«Yugi? Are you feeling bad, there’s something wrong? If I can do something...».  
Recovering  himself, the young man realized he had remained there, standing still, frozen in the doorframe without giving any signs of moving from the point where he stopped his feet.  
He shook his head: «No, grandpa, I’m fine. I think. It’s just that… I… I mean, you can understand when I’m not… Well… Fuck».   
Overwhelmed by the effort to drive back the unwanted memories inadvertently brought to light by Atem and by the disorientation caused by the Pharaoh’s hypothesis, Yugi could not bring out the right words and sighed, utterly frustrated.   
After taking a long breath, he forced himself to calm down, and put together e a full sentence: «You know if and when Atem has taken my place».  
«Yes. I know».  
The answer, dry and direct, startled Yugi and the man bowed his head, hugging himself with guilt: «You never pointed it out».  
Solomon slowly rose from his chair, approaching Yugi to fatherly put a hand on his shoulder: «You needed to do it, lad. Sure, I’m not saying it was the right thing to do, but wrong thing or not, you needed it. If I would have pointed this fact out to you, I would have not helped. I would have just hurt you more».   
His voice tone was calm, sympathetic as it had always been since Yugi was nothing but a child, alone and without friends, constantly looking for someone to give him some love.   
«Your situation is delicate, Yugi. I know you’ve avoided a lot of the story, holding it to yourself, just to keep me safe. I didn’t want to worsen your thoughts by adding yet another load to them».  
«Since when do you know how to tell us apart?».  
«Since always. I always you how to distinguish you from Atem, but I have to say, a few years ago it was much simpler. I was there, watching you grow up to be the man you are today. How could I not recognize my beloved niece, if he was in front of my eyes?», Solomon replied. «I never told you because I never thought it was necessary. After all, you and Atem are more than a young man and a hosted spirit. You are two halves of the same coin, you literally complete each other by filling your missing qualities. I’ve never had a reason to tell you, and now more than ever, it was crucial you did not know it».  
Yugi sighed heavily, turning to look at his grandfather in the eyes, and what he saw managed to cheer him up a little ; Solomon was smiling, serene and patient, and there was no apprehension in his eyes.  
With kindness, grandpa took Yugi’s hands in his and squeezed them, in a comforting gesture: «Listen. I don’t know what exactly happened to you after that tournament, nor I want you to tell me by rushing your times, but I want you to know this. Every time I saw Atem in you place, I didn’t feel as worried as you think I was. Is nothing else, it has comforted me to see that, even in the darkest moments, instead of giving up, you have found a way to continue on, even stuttering, even if you didn’t live first person. What’s important is not how you try to fix yourself, or to get up from the bottom, Yugi. The important thing is you should never stop living. Never».  
«Grandpa…».  
Tears made their way on Yugi’s face, warm on his cheeks, and Solomon wiped them away with his hand: «Whatever happens, Yugi, never give up. For as much as you can feel fear, pain and insecurity, thing do get better. Problems are solved, even if they need years to be sorted out. Your life is precious, you should not throw it away, not even if you feel impossibly trapped, not even if you are made to believe everything is against you. Not even if you are convinced to not be strong enough to survive.  
None of this will ever be true. There will always be someone ready to help you, lad, because you are not alone and will never be. No matter how strongly you’re convinced about it».  
Solomon words tore through Yugi’s soul, kind, loving and, Atem confirmed it many times, absolutely true.  
«Oh, grandpa… thank you».  
Unable to replicate more that the teary “thank you”, Yugi hugged him, reassured in the firm grasp of the old man who had always been like a father.   
Minutes later, Solomon unlaced the hug: «Now ho to sleep, lad. Don’t overthink».

 

Later, locked in his room, Yugi snapped open the first drawer of his bedside table and grabbed without compliments the pills package kept inside it, still hermetically (and luckily) sealed.  
Inside it there was nothing but one, tiny pill, apparently harmless by looking at it, but the mere sight of its container made Yugi’s stomach turn painfully.  
When Yugi asked Seto about obtaining him a suicide pill, the latter was so shocked he froze still on the chair where he was sitting, unable to comprehend such request. He then asked why, why would he want that, but he knew. He saw the look in Yugi’s eyes, his screams for help, and unwillingly complied to his demanding.   
‘I’m not going to take it now’, Yugi tried to calm the CEO down when he started crying, not tearing up, but straight up crying while handing him the container. ‘I could even not take it at all. But I need it’.  
He said nothing more, and Seto didn’t reply to that statement. Instead, he hugged him so tight Yugi’s could not breathe, and left him free to go only after a long, long while.  
‘You cannot want to die. You are stronger that this’, he said at last, just before Yugi had left his house, for what he was thinking the last time.  
«Well, he was right, wasn’t him? I didn’t want to die, after all».  
Without looking at the container again, Yugi threw the glass bottle into the trash can, where it landed with a dull thud among paper and other waste.  
He felt near to throw up, thinking back about how many times he had stretched his hand and tried to unscrew the bottle cap, tried to take the poison and swallow it, unknowingly stopped by both Atem’s presence and his innate attachment to life.  
The only think that had prevented him from opening the package, grabbing the pill and gulp it down was the impalpable but cast-iron will to stay, to still resist end exist, in the faint hope everything would be settled, sooner or later.  
Before giving himself time to rethink about it, Yugi ran to the trashcan, closed the trash bag with a knot and took it out of his room, down the stairs and out the door, where it could be taken away first thing in the morning. He didn’t want to suffer the influence of the damn thing again.  
Once back in his room, Yugi slipped under the covers and turned off the lights, burying himself in a cocoon of warm sheets, while Atem’s sweet and quite voice lulled him in a dreamless sleep.  
_“I’m proud of you, Yugi”_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dewa-netjer en-ek : Thank you. Ancient Egyptian  
> Imi-ib : My love (literally, heart's wish). Ancient Egyptian  
> Mr i Tw (I love you). Ancient Egypt, literal hieroglyphics transcription.
> 
> Please, do tell me if I messed up the Egyptian terminology here. I did a lot of researches for the terms I've used, but most of the Ancient Egyptian stuff was just the literal transcription of various hieroglyphics, so I had no idea on how I should have written them.
> 
> Be aware Yugi's conditions in this are a real matter. If you know someone who suffers from depression, anxiety or suicidal thought, don't ignore or underestimate the weight of the problem. Do what you can to help, always.   
> And if you are suffering this problems, please make sure to check them with an expert, and talk about it with your family, or your friend. Don't isolate yourself!
> 
>  
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking it, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their lives did not exist in a Duel.  
> In their never-ending race to reach the highest recognition, there was space only for thrilling sensations, for the feelings of cards made of paper and tech in their hands, for the holograms that Duel after Duel seemed more and more real.
> 
> In Duels, there was Yami Yugi, the powerful King of Games, undefeated and impossible to defeat.  
> In Duels, there was Seto Kaiba, no longer a president and CEO of an awfully important and influential company, but a champion whose sole objective was to defeat the King of Games.  
> And in Duels, they fought, leaving behind pain, memories and dreads, their hand trembling of trepidation instead of fright.

The rest of the month passed without any noteworthy event, but problems and hiccups were always ready to jump out around the corner at KaibaCorp.  
Yugi was submerged by paperwork, game testing and game designing, and despite trying to alternate everything with the required programming and testing for the “Legendary Dragon” along with his work team, his days gradually became so long and heavy they left him totally exhausted. He would detach himself from work with a hazy and blurry sight, his eyes grown tired from long hours in front of the computer screen, and several times he’d go back home with his neck and back aching, begging for mercy.  
To take a break, Yugi often welcomed Seto’s invitations to join him in the skyscraper area specifically made for testing the new Duel Disk models, and the King of Games found himself dueling against a robot AI while the CEO oversaw the functionality of new devices and upgrades. A few times the two men dueled themselves, especially if the upgrades installed into the Duel system required a more “human” feel to it.  
As if imitating Seto’s habits, in addition, immediately after having dinner Yugi took every bit of his time to scan or fix this or that game file, review and inventory, clarify any doubts about the proper functioning of games he designed himself. In most cases, when his grandpa would step into the office, Yugi had already collapsed on the desk, two or three hours later, surrounded by paper and digital documents, various discarded ideas and dried pens.  
Yugi started talking a lot with Atem, re-taking their hours long conversations on hand, exchanging with him not just general and useless chatter, but they often discussed about Duel Monsters, about the popularity the Dungeon Dice Monsters was finally gaining, about how much Ryou’s work with his Monster World was giving the Duelist of the whole world one more entertaining game to play. They also started dueling again, alternating the games between their soul rooms to play comfortably without switching bodies to touch the cards.  
In all that, Atem often advised his partner to rest and take everything more calmly, without tiring himself to exhaustion and exaggerating, but the Pharaoh also saw the positive side in all that stubborn and rushed behavior: Yugi was distracted, so distracted by his work, his though were oriented only towards programming, projects, anything else other than his fears and worries and awful memories.  
Of course, nothing has vanished altogether, with a snap of fingers.  
Yugi was still suffering from nightmares, there still were times when, instead of looking at the bright computer screen, he stared silently in the void with dull and blank eyes. Yugi still couldn’t stop curling up on his bed, tightly hugging his legs, with streams of tears running down his cheeks, from reddened and lost eyes.  
But Atem managed to cross the barrier Yugi was unconsciously building around him with much more ease, and even if the old Pharaoh was not yet able to reach his partner and take his hands into his own, despite their bond, he stayed close to him. He was patiently making sure Yugi never felt alone, remaining at his side until his sweet but sad smile returned on his face.

 

On the last Friday of the month, the atmosphere at KaibaCorp. was more tense than usual. All because of a badly attempted fraud.  
Seto and Yugi had participated in a very important meeting with various sponsors, some for the “Legendary Dragon” (about to be released in beta version), some for Duel Links, and a huge number of other ones for the RPG developed by Mokuba and other games.  
A meeting that, after almost five tense hours of discussion, proposals, explanations and presentations, seemed to have ended for the better. Or at least, so the most important people of the corporation believed.  
At its end, two sponsors stepped forward, with the intention to speak face to face with Seto; their contract was with Mokuba’s role-play game, but the young Kaiba had left the meeting room shortly before to return to his office.  
Which was the reason why Seto, irritated by the inadequate request, closed his briefcase with a sharp snap: «The Duel Monsters RPG in under the jurisdiction of my brother. If you want to discuss something about it in private, I am not the person you are looking for», he said, his voice flooded with authority.  
Yugi was about to leave after putting away his stuff, but he stopped at the door; he knew those sponsors, and he never trusted them. They had always seemed misleading men, surely ready to do anything to get their hands on easy money, and Yugi frequently confronted Seto about them. The CEO had always shaken off his partner’s concerns, but he did keep a more focused eye on the matter.  
«It’s simply a matter of few minutes, Mr. Kaiba. Just a proposal».  
«Yes – the second man supported his colleague – we just want to present a good opportunity to the attention of your company».  
Seto narrowed his eye, looking at the two men with poorly hidden annoyance: «I’ll tell you again, if you want to discuss anything about this game, talk to my brother. Any proposal you intend to present for the role-play game, is not my responsibility. Schedule a meeting with him. And now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work to do and important matters to accomplish», he said, thus closing the conversation.  
The two, however, did not agree with his refusal.   
The one who looked like the oldest, a short man with almost grotesque features, did his best to stood before the CEO with a grin deforming his face: «This is a proposal that could bring benefits not only to that single game, but could also help a huge number of your projects. Lister to us, Mr. Kaiba, you won’t regret it».  
Seto glanced at Yugi, still in the doorway, and then turned his attention back to the man in front of him; he could already feel the deceiving turn of that issue.  
«Fine», he agreed. «Tell me about this great proposal, but make it quick».  
The younger man did nothing to hide his satisfied grin while rubbing his hands, before pulling a folder full of documents out of his briefcase. He opened it on the table and scattered some papers on the surface.  
The CEO took only a glimpse of the words written on it before agreeing Yugi had been right all along about the two men, and with an excuse Seto took his phone and wrote a quick message. Mokuba’s RPG was nothing more than poorly placed bait to gain his attention.  
Yugi received the text a moment after and immediately left the room, already dialing a phone number.  
On his account, Seto turned his attention back to the folder: «Monster World? Could you explain yourself on the topic? I am afraid I do not understand what is it that you want from me».  
«Oh, of course». The elder man widened his sneer and pointed the various documents; all of them had the words “Monster World” printed on in the corner of the page, a clearly failed attempt on making them seem genuine.  
Seto took some of the pages, flicking through the papers but giving them nothing more than a disinterested look.  
«Our proposal is not hard to understand, Mr. Kaiba. We would like to see a collaboration between the Monster World RPG and the KC Virtual Reality System. Or, better yet, we would like to see the KaibaCorp. take over the Monster World».  
«Take over the RPG? And why, care to explain, would I ever want to do that?».  
«But to gain even more profit, of course! Figure it, Mr. Kaiba. One of the most powerful and biggest companies in the whole world acquiring such a famous Duel Monsters related game. Your gains will skyrocket if you willingly agree to this take-over!».  
The CEO raised an eyebrow, but encouraged the man to keep talking. He had to keep the sponsors occupied a few minutes more, enough to give Yugi time to come back.  
After almost ten minutes of chatter and rambling about profit and new promoters, to which Seto had hardly paid the slightest attention, Yugi silently returned to the meeting room.   
In his hand, in plain sight, he had his cell phone with an active video call; the interlocutor’s face was projected in thin air thanks to a hologram. And he was very, very irritated.  
«Yes, I understood very well what you are saying, and your proposal is, indeed… interesting – Seto interrupted the man’s unstopped blathering – but care to tell me one thing. What does Ryou Bakura thinks of all this?».  
Seized on the spot, the two men failed a sneak exchanging of guilty looks before trying to get the situation in hand. It was worse than watching a child fill a sandpit with seawater.  
«Well, it’s not… it’s not obvious?».  
«And exactly, what is it you are labeling “obvious” in you opinion? I asked you a question. I expect an answer».  
The younger man nervously stroked his bristly beard, his eyes darting madly in every possible direction as if trying to cling on something valid to say, while the older stood still in place, almost shell-shocked by Seto’s demand.   
Faced with expected silence, Seto exhaled a depreciatory laugh, a mere noise of derision: «I am answering you, then. Or, much better, I will let _him_ answer you», he than declared, hinting behind them.  
When the two men turned around, Ryou’s frowning face was staring back at them in holographic form. His anger was almost tangible, and the flickering hologram rendered perfectly his grimacing eyes, reduced to just two slits.  
«Sh- Mr. Bakura! – the younger caught himself before swearing – we…».  
«We just wanted to give a helpful hand to your business, sir», the older man took over. «Give your game a bigger opportunity to…».  
«Silence!».  
Ryou’s categorical exclamation had both of them stepping back in fear. The fact that his appearance nearly matched the infamous “Spirit of the Ring Bakura” one did not help in reducing the intimidation.  
«I have no intention in listening to useless excuses. You literally just tried to sell _my_ own game on _your_ own initiative, without having any kind of deal with me. You are absolutely ridiculous if you think I am going to accept  even a single attempt to justify and trust shady individuals like you». He then turned to Seto: «You’re going to fire them, I hope».  
Seto nodded, his arms crossed so tightly the sleeves of his dress shirt seemed about to explode: «I suppose they tried to convince you before showing up here».  
«They tried», Ryou confirmed. «They came to me last night, not asking for a deal, but demanding I give up every rights on my game. The repeated several times they were only following your orders, Seto».  
And that confirmed the attempted scam. Twice as much.  
Yugi and Seto had already discussed with Ryou about his Monster World, especially since the game landed on gaming platforms able to combine miniatures and holograms, but he never agreed to a collaboration. On the contrary, their final agreement was to keep the two games separate from one another, because Ryou preferred it that way.  
«Very well. Thank you, Ryou. And as for you – he turned to the promoters as soon as Yugi ended the call – if you dare show up again at my company, I will not hesitate to take advantage of the law. And if, by mere chance, I hear of other fraud attempts on your part, I will personally take care on having you arrested for it. Now get out».  
The two men, as frightened as little boys who have just been scolded by their mother, quickly picked up the fake documents and disappeared through the door, without glancing back.  
Yugi stuck his head out the door, in the hallway, and stared at them until the elevator doors closed, then returned looking at Seto.  
The CEO looked tense, irritated and tired at the same time.   
It was not the first time someone had tried to trick Seto in taking over or buying property and/or business without the consent of the owners, to throw shadows on his company, but that failed scam was on the verge of idiocy.  
Not only Ryou had repeatedly told the press about the independence of his fame, Seto himself had confirmed the same thing even more often, harassed by media and competitors.   
«Fucking idiots. As if it wasn’t enough dealing every day with one problem or another. Now I have to increase the company security again, until those dim-witted no ones disappear from the scene», he complained, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
Then Seto shook his head and sighed, looking at Yugi: «I should be thankful to you, right? Sorry about this, I’m trying to keep you away from troubles».  
Yugi crossed his arms, half smiling: «Be thankful Ryou answered the phone. Damn, that poor guy, he’s been back from England for just one week and someone already tried to steal his job».  
«And speaking of that, I have work to do. Projects to complete. See you later», he then said, speaking quickly.  
Seto frowned, puzzled by that, but before he could say anything Yugi was already gone.

 

 _"Partner?”_  
Sensing his agitation, Atem peeked out of the Puzzle, floating a short distance from Yugi. His evanescent cloak fluttered behind him, oblivious to the absence of wind.  
“I’m… I’m fine. I just need to… distract myself. Stay away from, what do you call it? Negative influences”, Yugi replied, wandering around the building a bit, climbing and descending stairs as he went. He needed a moment away from Seto’s frustration and his own discomfort.   
Fifteen minutes later he started going back to his office, but he then changed his mind and reached Seto’s, where he dropped onto the comfortable leather couch that occupied it.  
After settling down as best as he could (a difficult task, since he had to keep his neck bent forward to work on the computer), he began scrolling through various phases of his latest project, a survival game, correcting detail here and there, and adding new ones as he went.  
Half a hour later Seto returned to his office and stopped for a moment in the doorway, surprised to find Yugi there without knowing it beforehand, but he then gave him a brief greeting before sitting down at his desk.  
For a long time after that, the only sound to inhabit the room were the ticking of Yugi’s fingers on the keyboard, the sporadic disgruntled noises from Seto and the rain, which had begun to fall in the evening.  
Seto also silenced all the calls, ordering his secretary to redirect all of them and not disturb him unless it was an emergency, and the hours passed by without interruptions.   
Or, at least, until an over-exasperated Mokuba, went back at the skyscraper with Roland, broke into the office.  
Outside the weather had worsened, the rain was pouring down in buckets, and the clouds gloomed the already dark night sky, preventing anyone from seeing those tiny few stars shining beyond Domino’s light pollution.  
The digital clock fixated on the wall was showing, in glowing red digits, 2:00 am, when Mokuba opened the door and entered.   
However, instead of scolding his brother as usual, the young Kaiba crossed his arms, puffing impatiently.  
Yugi had fallen asleep on the couch, with the laptop on his knees projecting a blue-ish light on his face. His cell phone died a hour ago, but the King of Games did warn his grandfather he would come home late.  
Farther on, Seto had collapsed in front of the holographic screen he was working on, surrounded by lots of plastic cups that surely contained a huge amount of bitter coffee. He fell asleep with one arm on the desk, which he was using as a pillow, apparently without even realizing it.   
«Oh, damn it. How dumb I was, hoping this would not happen again».  
With a resigned sigh, Mokuba crossed the room to wake his brother and Yugi, praying he would not need to call Roland and carry them both to the limo. Seto was too big to be carried around, even by Roland.  
In the end, however, the only one who took the task on carrying someone was Seto, who lifted a still sound asleep Yugi in his arms. Later, not wanting to wake him up from a rare peaceful slumber, he retrieved his house’s key and carried Yugi all the way to his bedroom.  
It was long past 3:00 am when he finally got into his own bed.

 

The following day, when the alarm screeched obnoxiously at the ungodly hour of 8:00 am, Yugi rolled in the sheets with a low groan and did not even bother to open his eyes as he unlocked the phone to shut the sound up, already going back to sleep.  
The warmth of the bed was too inviting, the sheets too soft and enveloping to relinquish them, an artificial hug from which it was impossible to escape.  
A sleepy sigh, and Yugi returned to a softly lit dream world.

He woke up three hours later, at 11:00 am, and after a huge yawn Yugi gave a heavy-eyed look at the time on his cell phone.  
Few seconds later he sat up with a resounding and very creative string of curses, so suddenly he frightened a distracted Atem materialized at his desk. If the spirit had a body, he would have leapt out of his skin.  
_“Partner?!”_.  
«Fuck, Atem, why in hell you didn’t wake me up?! I should have opened the shop two hours ago, damn it!», he yelled, jumping to his feet and risking tripping over trampled bedsheets and his pajamas as he tried to reach the door, already forgetful of his drowsiness due to agitation.   
When he slammed the door open, however, instead of the hallway he found himself in front of his grandfather’s face, whose sudden appearance scared Yugi. The man avoided the impact with his grandson by jumping back, startled.  
«What the… Grandpa?! Why you didn’t wake me up?!», he asked, close to screaming in his face, upset. Solomon ignored the yelling and gave him a pleasant laugh: «Because you needed rest. So, I let you sleep in. It’s been too long since you gave yourself a little break, lad».  
In response, Yugi pouted like a child: «It’s my job, grandpa! I can’t sleep in if I have work to do». That, and he was terribly afraid of empty distractions. Those not busy moments weren’t bringing anything good with them, but he avoided saying it.  
«Nobody will die if you’re not in the shop for a Saturday», Solomon sighed. «Come on». The old man gestured to the kitchen, waiting for his grandson to follow him.  
Yugi sighed as well: «Let me wear something other than this, at least», he said, defeated, hinting at his pajamas. Maybe grandpa was right, in spite of everything.  
After replacing his pajamas with a pair of black jeans and a sweatshirt (signed KC and personalized with his Dark Magician), Yugi moved into the kitchen suppressing a yawn.  
Without turmoil in his head, the drowsiness had returned with its devoted wife, tiredness.   
On the kitchen table there were two small bowls, respectively containing steaming rice and miso soup, alongside a hot cup of green tea. Everything was neatly arranged on a bamboo plate mat.  
«The only times I skip my shift in the shop is because I’m behind on work for the company. This is not right», Yugi griped, rubbing his forehead. Just thinking about the huge load of work he had to do, now that he was not busy actually doing it, was giving him a headache. But at least, work could keep his mind occupied.  
Solomon pointed a chair: «I’d much rather prefer you sit down and have breakfast. It’s not good to accumulate so much stress, you _need_ to rest», he said gruffly, imitating his grandson as he sat down.  
Yugi grabbed the chopsticks and tried a little bit of rice: «Having nothing on my mind is not doing me any good, lately. I need to keep it engaged in something».  
«Then, do something else. Find other distractions. Put on a game and focus on that, or better yet, go out with someone. Hell, go out with Atem if you really don’t know what to do or who to call».  
The young man sighed again, but did not reply.  
For the second time, his grandfather was right. Even Atem approved the old man’s speech.  
Then, Yugi remembered his grandfather should not be there.  
«Wait, who’s in the shop, if you’re not there?», he asked between bites. The miso soup was too delicious to pass on.  
Solomon shrugged: «No one».  
Yugi almost chocked with the sip of tea he had just taken.  
«What do you mean “nobody”? You haven’t opened the shop?! It cannot stay closed on Saturday without first organizing a notice!», he then exclaimed. «For Slifer’s sake, at least tell me you launched the Duel Links event Seto prepared for today».  
Solomon got up to fill himself a cup of tea, then sat back in front of Yugi and took a sip before nodding: «All done, don’t worry». Then he frowned, stirring the hop cup in his hands before talking again: «You’re working too hard and too much, Yugi. You have to be careful with your rhythms, young man. You have recovered from a serious physical condition just a month ago».  
At those words, Yugi put down the chopsticks and pushed the empty bowls away. He then leaned back on the chair, crossing his arms, and slowly shook his head to ward off the phantom physical pain always ready to bite and gnaw at him at the slightest mention.   
«I can’t afford rest. Not now».  
Not only for the most incredible goal the KaibaCorp. was so close reaching. He just could not afford it.   
His grandfather’s words crashed a black gloominess on Yugi’s mood, reminding him of the horrible month and a half he spent first stuck in bed, suffering from acute, piercing and incessant pain, and later stuck in his mind. But Yugi didn’t allow his memories to go back any further.   
He _did not_ want them to go back any further.  
Instead, he focused on the expression of his grandfather, which had become kinder.   
Perhaps he saw something in Yugi’s eyes, and gave him a slight smile of comfort: «You have to rest. You are a generous and eager young man, Yugi, but if you insist on going on like this you will end up sick. Tonight you came back past 2:00 am, yes I heard you, and it’s not the first time that happens. I can’t say I fully understand why you’re pushing yourself so much, but getting worn-out can’t really help you much».  
Yugi started to reply but his grandfather, for the third time that morning, was right. But…  
«It distracts me», he said, looking away. «It helps me… not thinking about that day».  
  
Shivering, an icy chill down his spine, Yugi tried to focus on anything he could see. The table in front of him, the glasses in the sink, a shredded tear in the curtain hanging from the closed window. Everything was blurred, forcibly put aside by the memory image of the three men who had assaulted him, three months ago.  
He tried to concentrate on the soft chirping of birds outside, barely audible, tried to listen to the rain still pouring down from the obscured sky. He did not want to remember their voices, full to the brim with pure immorality, mocking, humiliating and offending him.  
Yugi took refuge in the comforting presence of the Pharaoh, relying on Atem to fill his mind with images from Ancient Egypt, his nostril with the smell of honey and strong spices, his memories with laughs and jokes exchanged with Mahad and Mana. He felt his ghostly, friendly touch on his frame, and got lost into it, to avoid picturing, again, the shocking, unbearable pain the inflicted him, torturing his body and mind without pity, without compassion…  
«Yugi».  
Grandpa’s voice shook him, and Yugi realized he had wet cheeks. Raising a hand to touch them, he caught a solitary tear as soon as it escaped.  
Solomon was beside him, holding a steady and on his shoulder. For how long the young man spaced out?  
«Go meet Seto».  
«W-what?».  
«I said – Solomon repeated, moving a step away – go meet Seto. Take your motorbike and go to him. Call him before if you have to. Only the gods know how much you need him now».   
Yugi stared at his grandfather for a long time, not knowing how to reply, or if he needed to reply.   
«You… you really changed your mind about him», the man resolved to say. «I thought… Atem and I thought…».  
«You thought I tolerated Seto just for your own sake?».   
Yugi nodded, and Atem’s spirit, appeared in front of Solomon, did the same.  
The old man sighed: «At first it was like that, I admit it. I always had my doubts about that guy, I was nothing less than suspicious. When I learned about your relationship with him, I didn’t hold you back because I respect you, Yugi. But it’s fair to tell, I never trusted him, I could hardly even think about trusting Seto until… well, recently», Solomon confessed, moving away to soak the dishes in the sink, in plenty of soapy water.  
«Seto saved your life. You probably would not even be here, if it wasn’t for him, but with his precedents… Aside from his most hideous actions, that I have no intention on bringing up*, Seto ripped a precious card, symbol of a cherished friendship. He trampled everyone because of his obsession with power and victory. How could I trust someone like that? I was afraid for you, Yugi, terribly afraid, and I didn’t understand why you, who suffered many of his absurd tantrums in first person, started to grow so fond of him.  
But then… Seto succeeded in doing something I no longer believed possible. He helped you find yourself back. You know I have nothing against Atem and your occasionally… switches? Anyway, when I saw _you_ came back home and not the Pharaoh, that night… it made me think».  
Solomon sat back in front of his grandson, who was still dumbfounded, and gently took Yugi’s hands in his own. Then, noticing the blush appearing on his cheeks, the old man smiled.  
«You.. well, you really don’t… it does not bother you I have chosen a… damn it».  
Embarrassed, Yugi looked away and freed his hands from grandpa’s grip, rubbing nervously his neck. He had never properly raised the subject of the relationship between Seto and himself with Solomon, after all. He had come to know it almost by chance, and the only mentions he made about it were infected with apprehension and mistrust.  
Yugi had no idea what his grandfather’s mindset really was about a homosexual relationship, he had never asked him directly. Yugi had always been worrying on how to convince him to accept Seto and his change, without trying to realize other reasons behind Solomon’s uncertainty.    
_“Stop, partner. Stop thinking that. You know it’s not true”_.  
“Sorry. Intrusive thoughts”, Yugi apologized, not only to the Pharaoh but also, even if silently, to his grandfather. He was a good person.  
Unaware of that exchange, Solomon laughed, kindly: «If your attracted to men, instead of women, it’s none of my business, Yugi. I want it to be clear, I am not and will never be against your life choices, as long as they don’t hurt you. I was… well, only against Seto. And I’m sorry about that», he said, answering his grandson’s question. «Your mother would say the same thing. _If_ she knew about it».  
Yugi’s eyes widened as he sighed: «I should tell her. She doesn’t even know what happened to me. Fuck, she doesn’t even know I’ve been stuck in a hospital».  
Solomon ignored the swear word: «And she doesn’t need to know, if you don’t want to talk about it», he quickly reassured him. «Even I know only a part of… that. Stop worrying».  
Yugi was more than grateful to his grandfather for understanding his feelings. At the time, Seto had not only refused to say anything, he also instructed the doctors and the whole hospital staff not to talk about it. He even managed to shut up media and journalists completely.   
And Yugi… Yugi didn’t have the courage to tell the whole story, after waking up in the hospital bed, paralyzed by excruciating pain and drowned in sorrow and fear. He was grateful to Solomon for not insisting.  
«The thing is – Solomon added – you should talk to your mother. Tell her about your relationship».  
«I don’t know how to tell her», Yugi replied, rubbing his forehead. «She never liked Seto that much, you know. She always said he was just an arrogant teenager with too much money in his pockets. I know she will be supportive and understanding, don’t get me wrong, but…».  
«Things change, as you often tried to make me understand», his grandfather said. Then, trying to improve Yugi’s mood, he winked at him: «Just avoid the details».  
And the silly trick worked his magic.  
Yugi blushed, turning redder than a maple leaf in its brightest hue, and looked at Solomon with wide,  stunned eyes: «Grandpa?!».

 

Three hours later Yugi was wearing the pieces of clothing that, by then, had become his signature uniform in Duels. Dark pants and a black shirt, his old school jacket worn like a cape (an habit he adopted after Atem’s return), and a disproportionate amount of accessories, from gold, Egyptian-inspired jewelry to his leather collar, closed on his throat by a metal buckle.  
The only changes he used to make was alternating between a long-sleeved shirt and a fitted tank top, always following the iconic design of his public image when dueling.  
Shortly before, Yugi had called Seto, asking him if he was work-free enough to meet and go somewhere, and his straight answer floored him.   
“Domino Stadium. Meet me there at 2:30 pm. Let’s Duel”, he said. Seto added nothing more before ending the phone call.  
Not that Yugi was entirely surprised; he knew Seto, the young CEO never missed an opportunity to challenge his greatest rival to a Duel (if he had the time), but that dry and direct answer…  
_“You’re overthinking, partner. Again”_.  
Atem pulled Yugi away from the train of hypothesis forming in his mind, advancing one wagon at a time on the tracks. His spirit form appeared behind Yugi, reflected in the mirror in which his host was double-checking his look.  
Thick and precise lines of black eyeliner perfectly framed his bright eyes, violet and red at the same time, bloody amethysts shining with both youth and ancientness, color-changing as if to keep the pace with the souls governing them.  
“I know, Atem. I can’t avoid it»  
Since Seto had “restored” Yugi’s soul in his body, the man had begun to explore the various causes of his problems and doubts more often. Particularly, if Atem pointed a specific behavior out, he always tried to reply to the Pharaoh’s words, tried to realize what was making him feel bad.  
When Yugi swarmed his mind with thoughts, one coming after another, he began admitting it without ignoring his feelings, and gradually the rumbling of thousand voices in his head faded. Those voices did not disappear completely, doubts and fears kept screaming at him day and night without stopping, but they were silent enough, and they weren’t able anymore to drag him on the cliff’s edge. Not in most cases, at least.  
Regarding nightmares, as horrendous and repulsive as they were almost everytime, he would talk to Atem or call Seto, telling them what he saw and lived, sometimes clenching his fists so hard his nails dug into the flesh, leaving bloody crescents behind, other times forcing words through pain-filled tears. But he was not uncommunicative anymore. He refused to lock himself into his own misery again.  
Seto invited him to duel because dueling was what he loved doing. What they both loved doing. What had brought them together, and what they had never stopped doing since then.  
Their first Duel had been distressing, rather upsetting. Yugi Dueled for his grandfather’s sake, while Seto was still a teenager with his heart enclosed in thick and unbreakable ice. After Yami mind-crushed him, things had changed, maybe not for the better at the beginning, but Yami Yugi, both souls, and Seto had grown fond of each other, thanks to that bittersweet day. Later on, Set joined in with his quiet but stern presence, adding in place the final piece of that complicated puzzle.   
And they never stopped challenging each other, yearning that blazing spark ignited by their games.  
Seto and Yugi’s Duels brought their burning passion to a higher level, giving to actions and strong desire the privilege to speak in place of voice and words.  
Dueling, they showed off their skill, their intelligence, their feverish fervor in a game made of dragons, spellcasters and warriors, bringing to the sunlight that absurd, resilient craving for rivalry and superiority. When they were against each other, facing on the field, Duel Disk brandished like a weapon, their souls shone and glimmered with a light possessing the same force of the Sun God himself.  
In the Arena, Atem and Yugi were no longer two different people, two spirits housed in one body, but they merged together to ride that tidal wave, drawing and playing card after card, following their energized heartbeat.   
And Seto too loved those Duels, in spite of his constant desire to inflict on the King of Games the most agonizing defeat of his life, in spite of  hid fierce determination on taking over the reign Yugi and Atem had carried on ruling since its beginning.  
Seto yearned those fights, looking forward their Duels with anticipation and eagerness, he craved the intoxicating sensations only the Duel Arena managed to give him.   
Seto dueled against Yugi, Set against Atem, and when the rivals switched places that fire burned even harder, scorching the battlefield with a roaring inferno.  
The crowd hailed their scornful remarks, their spontaneous exchanges  of clever remarks and snappy comments.   
People withdrew in terror and astonishment at the sight of the Egyptian Gods, and leaned out from the stands when the unending battle of the Blue Eyes White Dragon against the Dark Magician appeared  on the field, ad incessant war that had been going on for millennia.  
While dueling, not counting the many (too many) times they had been forced to fight and save the world from obscure, power-hungry individuals, Seto and Yugi never thought of anything.   
Their lives did not exist in a Duel.  
In their never-ending race to reach the highest recognition, there was space only for thrilling sensations, for the feelings of cards made of paper and tech in their hands, for the holograms that Duel after Duel seemed more and more real.

In Duels, there was no room for friends and lovers.  
In Duels, there were the rivals.  
In Duels, there was Yami Yugi, the powerful King of Games, undefeated and impossible to defeat.  
In Duels, there was Seto Kaiba, no longer a president and CEO of an awfully important and influential company, but a champion whose sole objective was to defeat the King of Games.  
And in Duels, they fought, leaving behind pain, memories and dreads, their hand trembling of trepidation instead of fright.   
Passionate Duelists.

Yugi smiled, hooking the Duel Disk to his arm, his soul already impatient to ignite.

 

Seto, gazing at the empty Arena, smiled as he waited for his rival to come; he lost infinite Duels versus Yugi, but in life, against him he had done nothing but win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * 'coff coff' Death-T 'coff coff'
> 
> I want to leave a side-note about my mindset for Ryou's Monster World. I may explain this more thoroughly, eventually, in a fanfiction all based on Ryou, Bakura and Marik, but I want to explain why he does not want to merge his game with KaibaCorp. Now, he is obviously linked to Pegasus' company, but I feel like, after all the things happened between the Spirit of the Ring and the others, he would try to keep some sort of distance from Seto, Yugi & co, especially with that particular game. I mean, they used to trap souls in the miniatures, after all.
> 
> As for Solomon's mistrust towards Seto, I always felt like he would never completely forgive him after what he did. I tried to keep it a light implicaton not because Solomon is simply a kind-hearted man, but because of Yugi's sake. 
> 
> A final note to the story, expect more memories to come back in the next chapters, and please be wary of them. I don't know if I'm going to explore more of Seto's memories, too, but this story is a long one, and who knows where the tide will carry me. 
> 
> And as always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _No ___  
> He was there, just across the street, unmistakable.  
>  _Stop, what are you doing?! ___  
> A tall, well-built man in his thirties, with dark hair and eyes of the same color. At first sight a simple passerby, walking with his hands in his pockets across the street.  
>  _No, get away from me! Leave me alone! ___  
> At first glance, no one would have pointed him out as a criminal.  
>  _Please… help me… ___  
> Yugi could clearly see the scars on his forehead, just above his left eye, regardless of the distance.  
>  _HELP ME! ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **!!! Warning !!! **  
> ****  
>   
> This chapter contains violence and rape depictions. Be sure to read with care!

«I sacrifice my Big Shield Gardna and Kuriboh, to summon my Ace Monster!».  
Yugi’s voice, amplified by the perfect soundproofing of the Domino Stadium, resounded firm and decisive, vibrating proudly in the air while the King of Games replaced the two cards on the Duel Disk’s blade with the one he just Summoned on the Field.  
His most faithful monster, companion of all his Duel, appeared on the Field in place of the warrior and the fluffy demon, floating upright and austere, his long scepter already aiming at Seto, ready to let his dark magic free.  
The protector of the Pharaoh. Yugi’s best friend in a Duel.  
The memory of Mahad.  
The Dark Magician.

 

Yugi lifted his right arm, pointing towards Seto, almost leaning forward toward him: «Go, Dark Magician! Destroy Seto’s remaining Life Points! Dark Magic Attack!».  
Seto’s Field was not empty.  
His majestic Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood out in front of Yugi, large wings and jaw full of sharp teeth wide open. The mighty dragon was ready to strike his opponent with a powerful and beautifully terrifying burst made of white light, but the noble beast could not stand against the Dark Magician’s assault.  
The dragon was imprisoned in the Spellbinding Circle, weakened of 700 ATK points. Consequently, with 2500 ATK points, the Dark Magician dominated the 2300 ATK points of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.  
With one single attack, he would inflict Seto a 200 points damage, equal to the last, sparing handful of Life Points the CEO still had.  
Moreover, Seto no longer had Spell or Trap Cards on the Field, the last one swept away thanks to Yugi’s Mystical Space Typhoon.  
He lost. Again.  
Raided by the attack filled with dark holographic magic, Seto fell down to his knees while his Life Points went down until they hit zero, defeated by umpteenth time, annihilated again by his fierce rival.  
Down, on the ground, laid there in yet again another submission.  
Nevertheless, the CEO smiled.  
He managed to change his always-present frown to a gentle smile, not too wide but still there to be senn, between frustration and failure. He was inflamed by that challenge, scorched by the hot burning energy Yugi had thrown at him.

 

  
The Heart of the Cards was still mushy nonsense to Seto, but the merged souls of Yugi and the Pharaoh were capable of burning brighter and more radiant than the most intense fire.  
Their Duel had been a clash of wild fire against standing ice, of darkness against light.  
A Duel, like all their battles, worthy of being remembered.  
Seth’s presence flickered in the recesses of his mind, and when Seto lifted his head, blowing away strands of brown hair obscuring his vision, the CEO’s gaze linked to Yugi’s, big, purple eyes contaminated by the intense crimson of the Pharaoh’s soul.  
After a moment, Seto realized Yugi had held out his hand, a gesture the man had refused uncountable times, afraid, because Seto Kaiba did not accept help.  
But then, with Yugi’s eyes gleaming with joy, brilliant crystals staring at him from above, so full of new life, Seto gave in.  
He grabbed his outstretched hand, and pulled himself to his feet.  
Without warning, Seto pulled Yugi into a firm but tender hug, bending over to lock his smaller frame in a kindhearted and loving grip. Yugi’s crazy hair tickled his chin as he tightened the embrace, like a seashell around his precious pearl, and Seto smiled again.  
«Sooner or later, Yugi, I will win. Sooner or later… I will be able to defeat you», he said, a quiet whisper lost in the silence of the empty Stadium, kept between their bodies, pressed close together in a warm and comforting sensation.  
And Seto did not lose his smile.  
Seto had never been so happy to have lost to his rival, the person he had swore to defeat. He would have lost another thousand times, just to keep the sparkle of life in Yugi’s eyes, to avoid seeing it disappear again.  
Yugi did not reply to that.

 

 

Later that day, after shutting off the lights and closing the Domino Stadium, Seto and Yugi strolled around in the mildly cold weather, stopping in a small park nearby. A tiny green spot in that ultramodern area of the city.  
All around them, even if the land was still wet with the rain that had stopped falling two hours prior, children and older kids were playing and running, carefree and giggling, with the eyes of their parents on them. Some of them were joyfully playing with their dogs, throwing balls and sticks or just sprinting alongside the animals.  
The majority of the people Seto and Yugi passed by turned to look at the two Duelists, clearly recognizing them but not daring to approach. A lot of children immediately ran to pull the sleeve of one parent or another, pointing at the world famous men.  
Because of that, Yugi often asked Seto why he never wore some kind of disguise, if only to not be recognized by every single passerby, but the CEO limited his answer to a fancy shrug.  
«You know, if I wasn’t this familiar with your presence, I would probably have the same expression», Yugi said with a smile, nodding at the bewildered faces of kids and adults alike.  
Seto stared at a particularly large group of young teenagers, who seemed torn between the decisions of approaching or stay intimidated, and crossed his arms, resting his back on the bench on which they had just sat down: «I could easily say the same about you, and it would be an euphemism».  
Yugi frowned, but it was an amused frown: «You’re feeling generous today, uh?».  
«I can’t deny the truth», Seto simply said. «You _are_ the King of Games, after all. It’s obvious every Duelist aspire to become like you».  
«Is that why you insist on putting on display my Deck and my Duels at Duel Academy?».  
Seto tried to reply, but in that moment one member of the teenagers group, a boy that could have been not older than 14 years, had detached himself from his friends, and was approaching, showing visible signs of both agitation and excitement.  
Stuck in his hands, he was holding what was, with all probability, his Deck.

 

«Excuse me, you… you are Seto and Yugi, right?».  
The latter smiled at him; the boy was clearly tense, he kept on darting his gaze between Seto and Yugi with restlessness, as if afraid of being scolded for such reckless face-off.  
Yugi didn’t blame him: he too, at first, was intimidated by the immense and dictatorial character that was Seto Kaiba, but in the end he did have a heart, even if people liked to believe the opposite. And Yugi knew  his own self could be seen as unapproachable, given his attitude during Duels and interviews.  
He was not surprised when, oblivious to the terrified expression of a woman not far from there, probably their little guest’s mother, Seto knelt in front of the teen, linking his blue eyes to the brown ones of the boy.  
«Yes, you guessed it», he told him. «You know our names, boy. What’s yours?».  
«I, well…».  
The boy glanced ai Yugi, still sitting on the edge of the bench, and then at the man in front of him. Two of the most renown people in the world, stern and confident as few were.

  
 Afterwards, the boy raised his head and answered resolutely: «My name is Taro. And… I was wondering if could… well, if I could have an autograph from you. You know, I worked really hard to put this Deck together, and it will be amazing to have it signed by the strongest Duelists in the world!».  
Taro looked up at Yugi, eyes shining with expectations: «One day I’ll be just like you, Yugi! I’m going to be a great Duelist!».  
«Of course you will!», Yugi replied, widening his smile. «Come on, show us your cards. It’s an honor to sign them for you».  
The teen, with a huge, bright smile on his face, handed Yugi his Deck and waited in place, as the King of Games shuffled trough the cards. Seto quickly joined him, sitting back on the bench to have easily access to the cards.  
Taro’s Deck was a strange mixture of Dragon and Spellcaster-Type monsters, a lot of them clearly inspired by the two Duelist themselves. The Deck put a new smile on Yugi’s face, as well as one on Seto’s; ironic, to say the least.  
After a while, Seto chose the card depicting Mirage Dragon, and he signed it with incredible precision. His signature, written in black ink on the card’s artwork, was the result of years of experience and practice; after all, he had to sign a lot of stuff because of his job: hundreds of documents, contracts and projects, and that was not the first autograph someone asked him.  
Yugi’s signature, instead

, paled in comparison. Inscribed on the Magical Exemplar card’s artwork, it was nothing elaborate and sinuous, let alone elegant; the signature was sharp and rough, much more like a hieroglyph, but it made the boy even happier and that was enough.  
«Thank you, thank you very much! I’ll show it to my friends, they’re going to be so envious !», Taro exclaimed once he was given the Deck back, jumping on the spot before running away while repeatedly shouting “thank you”  
Yugi laughed, but was cut off by Atem: _“You signed yourself Yami Yugi Muto?”_.  
Yugi grinned at the Pharaoh’s comment: “Why not, it’s true, isn’t it?”. He then spoke to Seto, aloud this time: «Are you hungry? It’s late, we should eat something».  
Between his sleeping in, the Duel and that little stroll, Yugi had not touched any food aside from his breakfast, and was pretty sure Seto was in the same condition.  
The CEO shrugged: «Do you have something on your mind?».  
«Oh, well… let me think about it». Yugi did not expect having to propose something. «Don’t you want to go home? You’re not famous for going out, Seto».  
Seto did not answer, his attention drifted away, so Yugi sighed: «Fine. Let’s go to Burger World. It’s been a lifetime since I last ate some junk food worthy of that name».  
Yugi barely held in a laugh at the way Seto twitched his eyebrows, and Atem crossed his legs in mid air, glancing sideways at his partner: _“You are just adding insult to injury, partner”_ , he interjected. The Pharaoh, however, had a smug grin on his face.  
Seto _detested_ Burger World.

 

 

Given the late hour, Burger World was not very crowded. The tables were almost all free, except for a group of teenagers, a couple and two families whose parents were certainly there just for their children.  
At their entrance, everyone turned to look at Seto and Yugi, mostly with a confused expression, and someone was wide-eyed with amazement.  
One of the kids shouted: «King of Games!» at full volume, and her mother threw an apologizing look at Yugi, who shook his head and mouthed “no problem”.  
The cashier did not bat a single eye when Yugi approached the counter to order something, used to seeing the King of Games in the restaurant, frequently with his group of friends. He, however, was stunned by the sight of Seto.  
The president and CEO of KaibaCorp. did not show up too often in fast food restaurant, after all; not since Mokuba had grown up enough to be able to eat there  without dragging his brother along, even if less frequently.   
«You can sit down at a table. We’ll bring your orders in a few minutes», the cashier said, handing Seto his receipt, still disconcerted.  
Seto _did_ look incredibly out of place, with his long, flowing white coat and his stark look.  
«Come on, Seto».  
Yugi pointed to a table at the far end of the room, placed away from the crowded ones, and Seto followed while mumbling to himself, grumbling criticism and not quite polite remarks.  
«Oh, shut up, it’s not so bad!», Yugi exclaimed, once seated on the bench flanking the table he had chosen. «I’m willing to bet you’ve seen worse places with your brother».  
Seto snorted: «I admit, Mokuba was always able to choose Domino’s worst fast food restaurants in terms of ambience and quality», he answered, glaring at a waiter who was placing trays full of food on other tables. «But _he_ was justified».  
«Oh, really? Care to say why?».  
Seto put his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers, with a provoking grin: « _He_ was a kid».

 

Yugi’s reply was fortunately blocked by the arrival of a waitress, a girl who stood out in the modest crowd thanks to her long, purple hair.  
«Here you go, enjoy your meal!», she exclaimed cheerfully, placing the trays for Seto and Yugi on the table.  
In that, Yugi noticed the name written on the girl’s name tag, Miho Nosaka, but she stormed away to take care of a table just occupied by a noisy trio of kids before he could say anything about it.  
Miho attended Domino High School, in the same class as Yugi, but she had moved in another city in the period shortly before the beginning of Duelist Kingdom. Because of that Yugi, as well as Joey and Tristan, had completely ceased contacts with her.  
Tea had tried to stay in touch with Miho for some time after her departure, but with all the misadventures they’ve been through, she also dropped any kind communication.  
Maybe that was the reason Miho didn’t even say “hi” to Yugi.  
«Yugi? You’ve been staring at that girl for five minutes».  
Seto’s voice, coming low and rough, rescued him from overthinking (again), and made him smile mischievously: «What’s the matter? Jealous?».  
The man’s eyed widened, and Seto coughed, trying to mask his embarrassment with fake nonchalance: «Me, jealous of a waitress? I thought you had a higher  consideration of me», he said, head raised but eyes looking down at his tray.  
A classic beef burger and a paper cup of lemon tea (there was nothing better for his tastes) occupied his field of vision, suddenly being objects much more interesting that the inquiring eyes in front of him.  
Incredibly, Yugi burst out laughing, and stretched out his hand until he grasped Seto’s, palms open on the smooth table top. He did not maintained that contact for too long, knowing well how Seto (and himself) did not feel convinced enough to show their relationship in public, but a smile remained to curl his lips.  
«She’s an old classmate, Miho Nosaka. You knew her too, but you kind of acknowledged her in… less pleasant circumstances», he explained.  
The terrifying and infuriating memory of Death-T came back to his mindresurfaced for a few seconds, but Atem helped Yugi to force it into the drawer in which they had already sealed it years before. Yugi thanked him silently, then returned his attention back to Seto: «You don’t recognize her? We were in the same class. Not even her look?».  
Seto huffed: «No, I don’t think I remember her».

 

  
Yugi shook his head, not at all surprised, and focused on the tray in front of him instead of arguing; unlike Seto, he had a more attractive meal waiting to disappear in his stomach. A huge cheeseburger was begging to be eaten, combined with a load of fries and a large cup of coke.  
The last time Yugi had eaten something at Burger World, he carried far fewer scars on his body and a much more reasonable weight on his shoulders, but the rich flavor of junk food, cooked on grills sizzling with too much oil, made him soon forget the bitter hints ready to hit with sharp claws.  
Seto looked at him disapprovingly when, instead of wiping his face after finishing the hamburger, Yugi went straight to shove a handful of fries in his mouth, but decided to make no comment.  
Instead, he swallowed the last bite of his burger and sipped the cold drink, grimacing at the exaggerated amount of sugar it had.  
«I bet you were way cleaner some years ago», he said after a while, raising an eyebrow, seeing Yugi was finally cleaning up his face with a paper napkin.  
«Come on, give me at least this freedom to me once in a while», Yugi winked at him, taking a long sip from his cup. The ice on the bottom tinkled while Yugi stirred the drink, staring at Seto with a soft smile: «Everyone needs to become a kid again, sometimes».  
The CEO shook his head, raising his eyes to the ceiling: «It’s a waste of time, if you want to know how I feel about that. Being a kid is not profitable. Nor convenient».  
Yugi avoided replying: for Seto, especially for him, living without the burden of dozens of responsibilities would be healthy, as well as fun, but the man did not have a lot of experience on how to be a normal, carefree young boy. And he didn’t want to know.  
Therefore, Yugi finished his drink and stood up to throw the remains of his afternoon lunch in the trash. He then stacked the tray on the other ones already in a neat pile next to the trash bin.  
Seto did not imitate him, but Yugi saw the CEO leave a tip more than generous for the trouble before leaving the table and reaching him.

 

Outside, the weather had darkened again, dark clouds burdened with rain stood across the sky like brushstrokes left on the blue canvas by a skilled painter, ready to pour millions of raindrops on Domino City.  
Yugi and Seto, strolling on the sidewalk, stopped at a red light, and while waiting to cross the road the latter looked up, at a giant billboard perfectly visible on the surrounding buildings: the image of Yugi, an amazing photo of the King of Games wearing his signature uniform, stood out at the side of his Dark Magician. His stance, with the Duel Disk activated and ready to battle, seemed to challenge all of the passersby looking at him.  
Yugi didn’t need to look up to know what Seto was looking at: «Did you really have to? I’m already in a hundred different magazines, to say the least».  
Seto snorted a laugh: «Advertising is an evil beast, but a company that literally revolves around Duel Monsters can’t go far without taking advantage of it», he replied, straightforward but amused.  
«Why do I even complain anymore… Give it a year or two, and you’ll release an album full of Duel Monsters inspired songs», Yugi replied, as the light turned green.  
Seto started to put together an answer to retort with; when he lowered his gaze, however, Yugi’s eyes were empty and lifeless, staring at something in front of him.  
The change had been so sudden and unexpected that not even Atem, who had just appeared beside Yugi, managed to understand the reason behind it.  
_“Yugi…? What’s happening?”_.  
Concerned, Seto follower the direction his eyes were staring at and froze in place, a sudden shock of chills and pure rage passing through his body, faster than a lightning.

 

_No_

He was there, just across the street, unmistakable.

_Stop, what are you doing?!_

A tall, well-built man in his thirties, with dark hair and eyes of the same color. At first sight a simple passerby, walking with his hands in his pockets across the street.

_No, get away from me! Leave me alone!_

At first glance, no one would have pointed him out as a criminal.

_Please… help me…_

Yugi could clearly see the scars on his forehead, just above his left eye, regardless of the distance.

_HELP ME!_

Seto and Atem’s voices, who tried to snap Yugi out of his inactivity, weakened until they totally faded, distant echoes of forgotten  intonation. Even the control he had on his own mind grew fainter, consuming him completely.  
And then, memories took over.

 

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

 

The Tournament was over, with a conclusion not entirely unexpected in Yugi’s foreshadowing.  
The competition, after dozens of great Duels and even greater Duelists, had reached its peak in the finals, seeing the King of Games facing, one more time, his most stubborn and resolute rival.  
A battle where no blow had been spared, the fierce and implacable clash of dragons against spellcasters, warriors against machines, in a chaotic but surprisingly precise pandemonium that had seen both shining lights and deep shadows.  
A Duel full of Monsters, Spells and Traps, combined with impeccable prowess even in the most desperate turn.  
In the end, Yugi’s Dark Paladin had triumphed over Seto’s Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, knocking down the mighty monster and annihilating his owner’s Life Points.  
The crowd’s roar of adoration and glorification echoes between the Arena walls, cheering the King of Games over and over. They repeated his name with a fervor lost in the cacophony of applause and excitement.  
And Seto, once again defeated, did not turn his back on so much jubilation. Instead, he squeezed Yugi’s hand and challenged him once again, reiterating his promise to defeat him, in a Duel or another.

 

«Let me compliment you, Mr. Muto! Another spectacular victory on your account».  
Yugi smiled at his Duel manager words: «Many compliments are for Seto, too. It was a long and exhausting Duel, worthy of both of us», he said, putting his cards away. «Is my presence still necessary?».  
The agent nodded: «There is just a brief interview to  go through, and then you will be free to go. Even the press wants its share of this success».

 

The interview did not take a very long time; ten minutes later, after answering the usual questions about his Duel strategy, his multitude of victories and similar issues, Yugi finally managed to sneak away from journalists and photographers, leaving his agent to wrap everything up.  
Seto was busy with another battalion of journalists, so Yugi said goodbye to Mokuba and left the Arena, stepping away with his hand in his pockets.  
It was late evening, and the street lit up at regular intervals by tall lights was almost deserted.  
The crowd that had crammed the stands in the Arena had already vanished, everyone returned to his own house right after the Duel, and even the stadium parking lot wasn’t occupied except for a couple of cars and a motorcycle.

 

With his mind elsewhere, Yugi automatically let his feet take the road home: waiting for Seto to finish his interview and close the Arena just to obtain a lift made no sense, after all. He would have arrived at home long before that time. In addition, it was a beautiful evening, with pleasantly warm air and a clear sky above Domino, shimmering thanks to the stars visible beyond the thick layer of smog.  
A few minutes later, Yugi decided to change direction opting for a shortcut, guiding his feet down some narrow alleys, no more than half a meter of street stretched between the high buildings of Domino. He often used to take that shortcut during the day, especially when Seto and himself Dueled in that Arena, but…  
_“Something seems off”_.  
Suspicious, Atem left the Puzzle materialized beside Yugi: _“Partner? I think you should go back. This road does not seem safe”_ , he said, his eyes looking around as he spoke.  
The hint of a movement behind him made the Pharaoh’s eyes narrow: _“Yugi, someone is following us”_ , he added, with a growing sense of unease in his guts.  
Yugi waved his arm: “This alley is dark, it probably was your imagination. And anyway, I’ve always took this way to get home, the street’s safe”, he replied, shaking off his worries.  
_“I’m still not convinced”_.  
“Oh, come on, don’t be so… HEY?!».  
Yugi screamed the last word aloud, feeling a pair of arms clasping tightly around his chest, in an iron grip. Thrown off balance, he turned his head to make out who seized him, at the same time trying to struggle out of that grasp, but as soon as he met the face of his aggressor he heard Atem’s warning, a silent cry that echoed in the recesses of his soul.  
_“YUGI, NO!”_.  
Right after someone hit him in the stomach, with so much force Yugi would have fallen to his knees if it had not been for the man immobilizing him. Another blow reached his head before Yugi could even think to fight back, and the King of Games lost consciousness.

The last think he saw, in the darkness before him, was a dark-haired man taking off the chain with the Millennium Puzzle from his neck.

 

 

When he woke up, the first thing Yugi perceived was Atem’s absence; an empty and deafening silence echoed in his mind, suddenly deprived of his royal guest.  
Then, as he slowly regained consciousness, Yugi realized that he was in a large, dimly lit room. Probably an abandoned warehouse, judging by the state of disrepair in which the place was reduced. Piles of boxes and pieces of scrap metal were randomly stacked and scattered, and the floor was covered with broken glass, bits of other materials and dirt.  
The only source of light was a flickering light bulb one meter away, not counting the moon’s soft glow that was filtering through the broken windows.  
A moment later, Yugi realized with horror he couldn’t move. Still dazed, he tried to lift his head to find out what was keeping him immobilized, but as soon as he did he felt a metallic rope tightened around his neck, pressing down on the trachea, and he immediately lowered it.  
When Yugi tried to fidget with both hands and arms, he also understood the reason why he was not slumped on the ground like a sack of potatoes: other ropes, probably of the same type as the one he had around his throat, tightly bound his wrists and held his body to a huge hook.  
Yugi tried to wriggle his hands, but as soon as he moved his wrists the ropes tightened and the man felt rough metal edges sticking under the skin, too sharp for them not to be a premeditated move.  
With a sudden feeling of pure terror, Yugi forced himself to stay still, fearing that the constrictions around his neck were in the same condition, and tried make his brain work to find a solution, or at least an explanation, to that awful trouble he ended hurling himself into.  
The blow he received on the head, however, hadn’t been benevolent, and as much as he tried Yugi could not maintain his concentration.

 

He forced his tired eyes to wander in all his field of vision, looking for something able to help him getting out of trouble, until they stopped on a familiar shape: the Millennium Puzzle, abandoned on a chair, close enough to be seen but too far away for Atem’s presence to return.  
The Puzzle was illuminated only by the lunar light, and was completely inactive, an object entirely made of solid gold but ironically worthless in that state.  
Yugi wanted to call Atem, trying to recover his comforting presence, but right at that moment another voice preceded his own, a hoarse and malevolent one: «Oooh, we finally woke up. How’s our King, eh? I hope your little nap has been refreshing. You _sure_ needed to rest after such a _tiring_ Duel».  
The voice’s owner, a tall, unpleasant looking man, entered Yugi’s field of vision, and approached close enough for the King of Games to distinguish two long scars on his left eye. He was the same man who had taken away the Puzzle from him.  
«What the fuck do you want from me?».  
The question did not come out as resolute as Yugi would have liked. Instead, paralyzed by terror as he was, the words sounded faint and trembling in the empty warehouse, barely audible.  
The man smiled maliciously, uncovering his crooked teeth: «Personally? I want nothing».  
«Then why…».  
«Why are you hanging from a butcher’s hook? Oh, my dear Yugi, I’ll gladly explain everything to you».  
Yugi’s eyes widened at the sound of the new voice: «No… it can’t be…».  
«And yet it is!».

  
A young man, approximately the same age as Yugi, entered the range of his eyes, still wide opened: he was tall and charming, his face half hidden with a mask, probably to avoid being recognized by possibly operating cameras. Yugi, however, knew his identity perfectly well.  
«You… you are Ryuichi…!».  
He, in response, grabbed Yugi’s hair and jerked his head back, making him whine when the damaged section of the rope around his neck wounded it: «Exactly! And _you_ will pay for what you’ve done to me!».  
Ryuichi let go, but when Yugi tried to raise his head back into a straight position he hit him, hard, just under the stomach, with a powerful kick.  
Yugi doubled over in pain, for as much as the constraints around his wrists allowed him to, but didn’t have time to catch his breath that another kick stole it from him.  
«W-what did I do to you? You lost ag-against me in the tournament! It’s _losing_ really a good reason for… for this?!».  
Ryuichi grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, tugging it: «Did you forget what you have done to me?! This fucking tournament was just the perfect excuse I needed to finally get my revenge on you, Yugi! You robbed me of my luck and humiliated me in front of thousands of people! Because of you, I’ve lived in miserable conditions for years, you son of a bitch!», he shouted in Yugi’s face, pointing out the last word with a well placed fist, which wounded Yugi on the cheek and inflicted him a burning pain.  
«It was not… my fault…», Yugi stumbled. Every word stung when it came out of his mouth. «I didn’t… I didn’t wan-».  
«SHUT THE FUCK UP!».  
Another fist, much more violent, hit Yugi again on his face, forcing the young man to tilt his head to the side after the impact. A trickle of blood began to flow from his split lip, Yugi felt it’s metallic taste on his tongue.  
When Yugi’s vision cleared, a third man had joined the duo in front of him, someone who looked all strength and no brains.  
Probably the same man that immobilized Yugi in the alley.  
«I’ll make you understand what it means to stand against a Game Master, _King of Games_ ». Ryuichi turned his back to Yugi and laughed, a cruel laugh, devoid of any joy: «He’s all yours. Do whatever you want to him. Kill him, for what I care».

 

«No…».  
Yugi’s plea flew over the heads of the two men, both with a wicked grin on their faces, their eyes animated by a nefarious and ruthless light.  
The biggest one had a brassknuckle on his hand, and the impact of that of Yugi’s ribs was devastating. Yugi gasped, hit by a jolt of excruciating pain, and involuntarily stiffened the muscles in his arms.  
Another lament escaped him when that movement forced the ropes blocking his wrists to stab in his flesh even more, dripping scarlet blood.  
An even more intense pain went through Yugi when the other man punched him in the face, adding to the damage already caused by Ryuichi.  
For a long, unbearable time, the two tormenters spared no blow, and at a particularly violent one Yugi clearly heard his ribs breaking, before being overwhelmed by the agonizing ache that followed.  
At that point, the larger man nodded his associate to stop, and Yugi almost fainted, weakened and traversed by rending pain all over his body.  
He was bleeding from many wounds, too many to count them, and was covered in bruises, his vision clouded by forced tears.

 

Through the strands of golden hair that fell in front of his face, Yugi hardly distinguished the two men talking to each other, but could not hear a single word.  
In blind hope, when one of them came up to free him from the hook, Yugi thought he was out of danger, but when he fell to his knees the man passed him, stopping behind him to immobilize the young man, adding his fierce grip to the ropes still blocking Yugi’s wrists.  
The other man appeared in front of him, his crotch just a few inches from Yugi’s face, and the King of Games was crossed by a flash of pure horror and despair.  
Unwanted, tears began to flow again, while Yugi tried to wiggle his escape: «Stop, what are you doing?!».  
His cry, however, was cut off by the man behind him, who closed Yugi’s nostrils with one hand, clearly to force him to open his mouth to breathe.  
Yugi, forcing himself to ignore the stabbing pain on his neck and the feeling of blood starting to flow from the wounds caused by the metallic rope, jerked his head back on his tormentor’s face. He pulled his hand away, but didn’t let go.  
«No, get away from me! Leave me alone!».  
The only answer he received from the man in front of him was yet another sneer.  
Without looking away from Yugi’s frightened and pleading eyes, the man unbuckled his belt and lowered his pant just enough to take out his cock, ignoring his prisoner’s protests.  
Yugi tried to rebel again, but behind him the bulkier man showed no signs of giving up on his prey, and before pinching Yugi’s nose again he immobilized his head, to prevent another attack.  
Desperate, Yugi held his breath until he managed to, clenching his lips so tight they became white, and his eyes automatically searched for the Millennium Puzzle, still too far away, out of reach.  
“Please… help me…”, he silently implored the Pharaoh, deaf to every call.  
Then, Yugi gave up.

  
Breathless, with aching lungs, Yugi opened his mouth and as soon as he did, the man in front of him took advantage. Yugi found himself asphyxiated by his cock, brutally shoved into in mouth, hitting the back of his throat.  
unable to rebel, Yugi could do nothing but indulge that raw aggression, trying to keep his gag reflex at bay to avoid chocking, with tears continuing to wet his cheeks already streaked with blood and salt trails.  
Yugi sucked the man’s cock for what seemed like an eternity, forced in place by the other one’s grip, crying and hoping that torture would end soon.  
A few moments later, Yugi felt the man’s hands tug at his hair, forcing him to take the entire shaft in his mouth. Soon after, Yugi felt a warm and foul fluid filling his mouth and the young man wriggled again, accomplishing nothing.  
Disgusted, Yugi swallowed his torturer’s release, and coughed as soon as he let him free, spitting away everything he could, bent down to touch the concrete floor with his sweaty forehead.

 

Before he could take a breath, however, Yugi was crushed with his head on the floor, restrained by the large hands of the man that still didn’t release him.  
A few moments later, the other one tore Yugi’s shoes and pants off, leaving him naked from the waist down.  
Without even giving himself time to totally metabolize what was going to happen, Yugi began to scream, pleading for help, writhing and squirming as best as he could to escape the iron grip of the man who held him down, overlooking his agonizing pain, but with no results.  
In any case, who could possibly be there to hear him so late at night?  
Humiliated, shocked and terrified, Yugi pushed back the aching sensation in his body and continued to struggle, until he freed himself from the assailant’s grip.  
Still, even trying to slither away revealed to be useless, and shortly after Yugi returned powerless.  
In the end, pissed off by his escape attempts, the two men decided to tie him up against a wall, and fastened his hands over his head by wrapping the metallic ropes to an iron bar that once housed the glass panel of a window.

In response, Yugi flailed like crazy, trying to keep them away, but only managed to hurt his feet and legs with glass fragments scattered on the ground before being locked in place.  
With the bigger man holding him still, the other one settled himself between Yugi’s spread legs,  
His grin seemed to grew wider and crueler after every second.  
«Who would ever want a pleading King, Yugi? Give up, no one’s coming to save your ass... literally», he whispered, a whisper oozing malice and a pitiless laugh.  
Heartless, the man gripped Yugi’s length with vicious force, stroking it with teasing movements: «It’s becoming hard, _my King_ … why are you so eager to be fucked, Yugi? Could it be… you’re liking this?».  
Another laugh, seeping venom, left his lips, resounding in the warehouse.  
Yugi wanted to reply, whimpering under the man’s hands, but he couldn’t let out a word. In that moment, with a violent thrust, the man made his way into Yugi’s body, and the King of Games felt like he was tearing him apart.  
«This is not your first time, uh?», the man cruelly laughed at him, enveloped by Yugi's tightness. «How many times did you already take a dick up your ass,  _Your Majesty_?».  
An horrendous pain pierced through Yugi  as the man remorselessly raped him, brutal movements, savage thrusts with no given pause.  
Yugi’s back scraped against the ruined wall, the rough surface disfiguring his smooth skin with deep scratches and cuts, and the metallic ropes around his wrists and neck sank under his skin and flesh, the latter frightfully close to strangle him.

  
The young man yelled, cried again and again, as he was fucked by both men without regard, under the mocking eyes and words of his torturers.  
Yugi prayed, begged someone to come and save him from the brutal assault.  
“HELP ME!”, he shouted, an invocation lost in silence, stifled by moans of pain and tears, and by one man’s cock shoved one more time in his mouth, preventing the hopeless plea to find a way out.  
The two men abused Yugi to his breaking point, reaching their goal to even pleasure him through the pain, hitting at his sweet spot just to hear him cry in forced and unwanted ecstasy; they used his body until they destroyed it, leaving the young one passed out and bleeding, half naked and tied up on the debris-covered floor of the warehouse that had become his prison.

 

Before closing his eyes, swollen and red with bitter tears, Yugi saw the Millennium Puzzle light up, glowing in its intense golden brightness, a radiance so strong it invaded the whole environment.  
He saw the man still in front of him collapse on the ground, his eyes suddenly blank and dead, and he saw the other man run away in terror, escaping from the deadly flare.  
And when  his eyelids fell, too heavy to stay open a little longer, Yugi heard Atem’s voice making its way in his thought, too feeble to discern words, but warm and dazzling, strong enough to stop Yugi’s life from slipping into oblivion.

 

 

Dying, held in the living world only by the Pharaoh’s energy, Yugi’s consciousness was completely gone when, shortly after Atem’s intervention, Seto burst into the warehouse surrounded by a raging and at the same time scared aura, holding in his hand, blazing with blinding light, the Millennium Rod.  
The same Millennium Item that had just taken the souls of Ryuichi and his hired torturer.

 

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

 

Scared, Seto drove away all the curious passersby and shook a completely unresponsive Yugi, in an attempt to bring his mind back in the real world.  
His empty eyes terrorized the CEO, brought him back to the moment he had found Yugi in that warehouse, covered in scarlet blood and wounds, abused and almost strangled by a rope.  
«Yugi! Yugi, come back! YUGI!».  
After the last call, Yugi’s eyes suddenly regained life, and the man returned to the present time with a loud gasp, as if he had just resurfaced after being submerged by a tidal wave.  
Trembling, Yugi tried to get back on his feet, leaning of Seto’s arm: «S-Seto…? Seto, are you really here?».  
«Yes, Yugi, I am really here», he assured, articulating every word. «Everything’s fine».  
Yugi shook his head: «No… No, it’s not fine», he replied, his voice still shaken by uncontrollable tremor. His face was ashen paler than a white sheet, and two thin streams of tears trickled down his cheeks.  
«No, it’s not fine. You’re right», Seto agreed. «Let’s go home».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miho Nosaka and Ryuichi Fuwa are characters from Season 0. Since I actually watched that season, but unfortunately never had the time to read the manga (even though I know a lot about it, enough to point out some differences from manga and season 0 itself), they are heavily influenced by that. 
> 
> Regarding Miho, I know she and the rest of the crew are supposed to be best friends, but I feel like she could end up forgotten by them without problems, given all the stuff the group experienced. I just wanted to take advantage of the fact she actually worked a bit at Burger World in the Season 0 setting. Plus, I used the whole deal "moving to another city" to make up for her absence in the regular series.
> 
> About Ryuichi, from what I know thanks to Season 0, he was kicked out of Kaiba's Game Masters circle and ended up out of luck because of Dark Yugi. So, I figured; what better person could want to have a huuuuge revenge on Yugi? Yeah, him. 
> 
> I'll probably expand the tournament itself in another chapter or in a one-shot spin-off, because I kinda like describing this type of competitions, but I still haven't decided yet, because the tournament is not a relevant part of the story. The most important part is just Ryuichi's loss, after all.  
> If you'd want to read it, however, I'll be more than happy to insert the tournament in this story.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A memory that was too vivid to be forgotten.   
> [...]  
> He bowed his head, shifting his eyes downwards: «Aren’t you tired of pretending, Kaiba? Are you really this blind?».  
> Was he really that blind?  
> No. Of course not.  
> Was he tired of pretending?  
> Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A necessary note before you start reading this. I'm sorry it's a bit long, but please put up with me, I have to spit it out.
> 
> You may have noticed, at this point, that I'm not using the name "Kaiba" for Seto in this fanfiction, as it should be "normal", given everyone calls him that in the English dub (and the original one? I'm not sure, sorry).   
> But, I'm used to the Italian dub, in which none of the characters, minus one or two exceptions if I recall, call him Kaiba. Everyone calls him Seto. Even Pegasus. Even Roland. I don't know why, I never thought about it, but that's a fact. Maybe it has something to do with some Italian mind-set I don't know about. And that stuck with me, even though I did read a lot of other works, in where the characters call him Kaiba.
> 
> Now, because of this, I wanted to try and incorporate in the story itself some sort of evolution from the characters calling him "Kaiba" to them calling him "Seto". A development in their general relationship, so to speak.   
> This story is set ten years after the canon-verse, in the GX era, to be more precise. The time when Jaden attends the Duel Academy, and I found somewhat appropriate to elaborate (big word, but still) some kind of a headcanon about Yugi's squad (plus Marik and Bakura), in which they actually develop some sort of friendship with Seto, even if he doesn't want to admit it. A little bit of a more appropriate setting to use his first name, other than the name he earned. 
> 
> Now, I'm sorry if this doesn't make a lot of sense, but as the story progressed in my mind and as I was writing a particular part of this story, I felt like I needed to clarify this thing. Also, because in a lot of works I've read, Seto's first name is often used only by Mokuba and Yugi (or Atem), because they are people who love and trust him, and vice versa, and I needed an evolution of mind-sets, not only by Seto himself, but also from the others. 
> 
> I'll leave you to the story now. Again, sorry for the long beginning note, but I needed to get this off my chest, and the end notes would not be appropriate.

The morning arrived and passed without anyone at the Kaiba mansion noticing.  
The sun, risen behind the horizon despite the constant threat of menacing clouds that wanted to hide it from view, burying the bright star beneath layers and layers of white incorporeal fluff, stretched its long and warm rays on walls and windows of the building, shimmering on the glass and creating beautiful patterns of light and shadows after clashing with the stubborn leaves still attached to trees and plants.   
Not even one thin ray, however, was able to reach the quietness and the dim light of the room in which Seto and Yugi slept peacefully, safe and sound in each other’s arms, the unsympathetic rays blocked by an impenetrable barrier made of dark, heavy curtains.

 

Yugi, snuggled in Seto’s embrace, looked even more smaller and vulnerable than he was in reality, wrapped in a soft cocoon of blankets and a fluffy pajamas.  
His crazy tricolor hair tickled Seto’s chin with every breath and movement, but the young CEO did not move from his position. Quite the opposite, in fact.  
With a content sigh, he hugged Yugi to himself even more, intertwining their legs under the safe cover of white and blue sheets, and left a shy kiss on his head, fighting with the obstinate points of his hair.   
It was Sunday, so neither of them needed to get up that morning.   
Not even Seto, who normally was already up, awake and fed only by coffee (and occasionally some cookies when Mokuba insisted) at eight o’clock, ready to sit in his office chair to carry on this or that project, filling and reading paperwork or checking documents.    
In fact, the CEO didn’t give the slightest sign of actually wanting to wake up and leave that warm shelter and the soft bed.  
But above everything, Seto didn’t want to break their embrace. He wanted to keep Yugi close to him, where he knew he was safe and sheltered, where the shadows of his splintered mind could not reach him without first having to fight a tough battle, to break through a defense steady and unbending.

 

Not far from them, resting on the nightstand on Yugi’s side of the bed, the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Rod flickered with pure golden light, as if Atem and Seth were following the wanderings that the dreams of their respective hosts were undertaking.   
Yugi sighed in half-sleep, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position in Seto’s firm hug, and he smiled unconsciously, for a moment forgetting his fears and pain, sinking back into a deep sleep.

 

 

Later, at 2 pm, Mokuba insistently started knocking on the door of Seto’s room, banging his fist on the slick wood: «Seto! Yugi! Wake up, there’s someone who wants to see you both!», he exclaimed, trying to make them hear him.  
Fortunately, Seto’s bedroom wasn’t soundproofed like his home office, and the room’s owner woke up with an annoyed groan.  
Yugi, who in the meanwhile had shifted in his sleep and was now showing his back to Seto, fidgeted with a faint protest, awakened by Mokuba’s shrill voice.  
«Damn, I was hoping for a more pleasant awakening», he complained, sleepy, with a hoarse and slurred voice.   
To answer him, Seto sat halfway up with a yawn and bent down to touch Yugi’s cheek with his lips, kissing him gently: «Better?».  
With a shaky smile, Yugi turned his head and stole another kiss from Seto, just a short, affectionate touch of lips. The most he felt himself wanting to do without triggering bad memories. «Now… yes», he the replied.  
Seto smiled back, a more genuine smile, and started caressing his face with one hand, but Mokuba’s voice resounded again from behind the door and CEO had to give up, get out of bed and open it to silence his brother.  
All of that was so quick that Mokuba almost knocked on his chest.

 

«We’re awake, Mokuba. You don’t need to make all this noise», Seto hushed him, glancing at the clock on the bedroom’s wall before shifting his attention to his younger brother. «You could even wake up all the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in here».   
Mokuba was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a shapeless shirt, and Seto raised an eyebrow upon noticing: «You didn’t go out?».  
Normally, if Mokuba didn’t have any extra work to do for the company, he used to go out and eat in this or that fast food restaurant, instead of staying at the manor for lunch time. It was almost a tradition, by then.  
The younger Kaiba shook his head: «I didn’t want to… you know».  
«Leave us alone», Seto said for him.   
Mokuba nodded, his face turning various shades of red. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Seto and Yugi alone after the crisis that occurred the day before, but he would never admit that out loud himself.  
He didn’t want Seto to believe his brother didn’t think he could handle a similar situation on his own.  
Yet, Seto nodded, grateful: «You are kind and thoughtful, Mokuba. And I know you would never want to insult or upset me», Seto reassured him, imagining his thoughts on the matter. «Thank you. I… I wasn’t totally sure I could be able to handle all of the… all of this», he admitted, lowering his voice to avoid being heard from Yugi.

After all, despite the help Seto had given to Yugi, not just by saving his life from heartless bastards but also from himself, he had never been alone with him in the moment of a crisis.   
Yugi had avoided him in that period, in addition to other understandable reasons to avoid putting them both in an even worse situation, and Seto had never seen his partner so desperate, frightened and powerless before past and present.  
He had always been fierce, as Atem, and stubbornly full of hope and skills as himself. Seto had seen them both scared, but they always found a way to overcome their fear. Almost always.   
The expression Seto saw in Yugi’s eyes when they returned home reminded him of the one Atem had on his face after losing Yugi’s soul to the Orichalcos, because of his recklessness. Empty, lost and sorrowful, full of fear and anguish, and hidden sparks of rage.

A memory that was too vivid to be forgotten.

 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

«Kaiba is nothing but a selfish asshole!».  
Joey, annoyed and exasperated after the phone call with the CEO, feeling guilty for letting the bastard know Yugi’s defeat in a Duel, punched the nearest surface he could reach. A cupboard.   
«He’s not stupid, dammit! He realized we clearly need help, but no! He always has to put his damned pride in front of anything and everything!», he exclaimed, proceeding to kick a pillow that had fallen to the ground from one of their improvised beds.  
«Enough, Joey. Calm down», Duke intervened, moving away from Joey’s reach any object he could hit or throw. «Getting angry is useless. We know how Kaiba is, by now. We shouldn’t even be surprised».  
The blond shock his head, frustrated: «It’s only my fault. If I hadn’t told him that…».  
«Told him what? That Yugi lost a Duel?», Tea interjected. «Stop feeling guilty about it. Kaiba is just a self-centered child when it comes to this things».   
She then glanced at the Pharaoh, sitting by himself in a dark corner of the trailer, and lowered her voice a bit, nodding in his direction: «Besides, I don’t think we should keep talking about it. Not now, at least».  
Catching the allusion, Joey dropped his protests and laid down on his makeshift bed, punching the pillow repeatedly before finally calming down and trying to get some sleep.  
In the end, right after the phone call Rebecca had managed to solve the situation by buying last-minute tickets for a train, but Kaiba and his endless arrogance still terribly bothered the blond.

 

 

When Yami woke up from a restless and discontinuous sleep, the trailer was still immersed in darkness, and all its occupants slept soundly, busy exploring their dreams.  
Even Joey, who didn’t want to find peace to begin with, was fast asleep, drooling on the pillow as his mind wandered endlessly.   
Yami shook his head, but strangely, instead of being angry at them for being so quiet and peaceful after what happened to Yugi, or thankful because all of them were still there, he felt nothing. Neither resentment nor gratitude for their presence.  
Sighing, feeling too alone in the silence of a mind locked in a body that did not belong to him, Yami recovered Rebecca’s computer from the table and left the trailer, heading out in the cold evening air, but without lingering too much outside before closing himself in the car, on the passenger seat.  
The stars were shining bright in the clear sky, twinkling on the black canvas thanks to the absence of light pollution, but that was a sight the Pharaoh didn’t want to admire, not without Yugi at his side.  
When the Seal of Orichalcos had ripped off Yugi’s soul, right after his selfless intervention to save Yami’s, the Pharaoh had felt a jolt of pain so sudden and intense he could not even describe it. Something able to strike him down.   
He, once a mighty Pharaoh with the whole Egypt at his feet, according to Ishizu’s words.   
Yugi had been taken away because of him, because of his stubbornness and his fear of failure, because of his endless rage and his constant need to feel superior to everyone else.  
Yami activated the Seal of Orichalcos, not Rafael.  
If Yami had listened to his pleas, even in case of a defeat Yugi would still be there, encouraging and optimistic as always.  
With the Seal of Orichalcos in Yami’s hands, even if Rafael would have won the Duel, there would have been nothing at stake. No souls to lose.   
Just a loss and the bitterness that would have followed.   
But Yami activated it, panicked too see Timaeus and his Dark Magician Girl trapped and unable to help him win.

 

«Fuck!», he swore, hitting the dashboard. «Why did I do that?! Why am I so fucking horrible?!».  
He punched the rough surface over and over and over, until he realized he was hurting himself, and stopped. He didn’t want to hurt Yugi’s body just because he was enraged with himself. He had no rights to even occupy that body, after what he did to his owner.  
Shaking, Yami balanced the computer on the dashboard and turned it on, looking immediately for the program he knew allowed users to start video calls online.  
He found and quickly launched it, entering the necessary data to reach KaibaCorp. He could have used the phone, but that was in the trailer and Yami needed to talk to Kaiba alone, without anyone hearing.  
He wanted to try and clarify the whole situation with him.   
He needed to talk to him.

 

 

«Seto?».  
Concerned about his brother, Mokuba knocked on the door of his office; it was long after 3 pm., but Seto hadn’t moved from his desk, not even to have dinner.  
After the phone call received from Yugi and his crew, the CEO’s mood continued worsening hour after hour, and Seto had closed all communications with his office, redirecting everything to his secretary. He had even avoided Mokuba, not wanting to yell out his frustration on him by accident.  
«Seto, answer me. Can I come in?».   
Seto sighed, staring at the paperwork staked on his desk: «Fine, come in», he agreed.  
He was still in a bad mood, but his brother seemed worried and Seto wanted to reassure him, somehow, before sending him to sleep.  
It was very late, and Mokuba should have been already in bed for quite some time.  
Rather alarmed by his brother’s mood, Mokuba entered the office measuring every movement, but Seto’s hard expression seemed to soften a little when it wandered on him.  
«Are you worried about me?».  
Mokuba nodded: «A little, yes», he replied, rubbing nervously his feet on the ground.  
Seto frowned: «And…?».  
«And I’m also a little disappointed», the younger Kaiba added, looking at his brother straight in the eyes, showing more determination that what he actually had. Seto’s unexpected rage outbursts were still able to scare him, even though the CEO always tried to keep Mokuba out of them.  
«What? Disappointed?».  
Disbelieving, Seto sat back on his leather chair, leaning against it while continuing to stare at Mokuba. The boy was clearly feeling uncomfortable, given his body language, but he also didn’t want to give up.  
«Yes. I’m disappointed by the behavior you had with Yugi, Joey and the others».  
«I don’t think this is business that concerns you, Mokuba. They asked me for help, and…».  
«And it wasn’t fair refusing to give it to them», Mokuba concluded in his place, interrupting him. «It wasn’t fair at all, Seto. You behaved like that just because someone who’s not you succeeded in defeating Yugi in a Duel. You behaved like a child», he scolded him.

 

Seto tried to reply, irked, but Mokuba didn’t allow him: «Don’t even try, Seto. You know, I’ve always supported your decisions, including the craziest ones. I even helped you carry on that mad Death-T project, and all I want to do about it is forget everything! But this… this is totally unreasonable. You _had_ reasons for Death-T, for god’s sake! They are in serious trouble right now, and all you did is deciding to sit here, alone and sulky, just because Yugi lost a card game. And you don’t even want to realize that, from what we have been told, maybe this could be something much more dangerous than a game. Make a rational decision, Seto. You’re more than capable of doing it», he concluded, turning his back to the desk to leave.  
Before Seto could even think to react, shocked by the unpredicted lecture he underwent, Mokuba had already left the office, closing the door behind him.

 

Shocked, Seto took longer that he needed to realize he was alone, and Mokuba’s words began to echo in his ears, leaving a mark on his pride after every sentence.  
Without thinking, the CEO reached out and slipped his hand into the drawer where he had previously closed his Duel Disk, along with the Deck, and pulled out a single card.  
A Spell Card, at first sight, but without name, symbols or lines of written text on it.  
The Fang of Critias.  
The same card that, not long before, had appeared in his Deck out of thin air, during the Duel against that crazy guy Alister, after apparently freeing a huge dragon named Critias from a crystal cocoon by pulling a sword out of his body. In a parallel dimension. Guided by the Dark Magician Girl.  
Ridiculous.  
Seto had shrugged off the whole issue by blaming hallucinations, tricks and exhaustion, but he couldn’t deny, in any way, that a damn card appeared from nothingness was there in his hand.  
He could not deny its existence, not after having used it, in that same Duel. He drew the Fang of Critias from his Deck when the card itself was still infused with bright light.  
Turning it over in his hands, Seto no longer knew what to believe. He no longer knew what he _wanted_ to believe.  
A few hour earlier, the Fang of Critias had begun to glow with a white light, before suddenly stopping. And Seto felt, _he knew_ , it was because Yugi was using the Legendary Dragon in his possession. He had sensed it, in some weird and impossible way.  
Just as he could not deny having seen the devastated expression on Yugi’s face, mixed with indescribable fury, when his friends said the King of Games had lost something far more important than a Duel.  
Seto could not deny the Orichalcos power, his fear in front of the energy he felt emanating from it, but he didn’t _want_ to admit it. Not even to himself.  
He could just _not deny_ anything about it.

 

 

He was still staring at the card when the icon of his online program for video calling flashed on the computer screen, accompanied by a quiet twinkle.  
Distracted by his own thoughts, Seto didn’t immediately notice whose name was displayed on the icon and didn’t check it, so he stood startled when Yugi’s face appeared in full screen.  
«Wha… Yugi? I already told you I won’t…».  
He bowed his head, shifting his eyes downwards: «Aren’t you tired of pretending, Kaiba? Are you really this blind?».  
Was he really that blind?  
No. Of course not.  
Was he tired of pretending?  
Maybe.  
Yugi didn’t look healthy. He seemed even more sick and frail than he was a few hours before, during the call. His face was pale, as white as snow, and he had dark shadows under his eyes, oddly devoid of any trace of that fire before which Seto always trembled, ready to fight.  
They were dull and opaque eyes, red and swollen. Yugi must have cried.  
No.  
He wasn’t Yugi.  
Yugi was a childish and little teenager, while that boy, sitting in a car and with his face projected on Seto’s screen… He looked like him. He _just looked_ like him.

 

«What happened to Yugi?».  
If the Pharaoh was left surprised by Seto’s question, he didn’t show any emotions about it. «The Seal of Orichalcos took his soul. Yugi… Yugi is gone», he replied.  
From what Seto could see on the screen, his hands were shaking.  
But that illogical situation... he could not accept it.   
All of that, the stolen souls, the supernatural Duels… everything was too incongruous and inexplicable for Seto’s rational mind, used to process science and technology, not magic and paranormal activities.  
However, his instinct told him again, he _had_ to recognize there was nothing of Yugi’s innocence in the eyes that had risen to look at him.  
«The Seal of Orichalcos is just a card. It cannot have all that power. There _must_ be some insane trick behind that», the CEO replied, guilt crawling on his back. Those were insensitive words, he knew it.  
«Just because you want to believe something, Kaiba, does not mean it’s true», the Pharaoh retorted, harsh. «Yugi is gone. The Seal of Orichalcos captured him, whether you want to believe it or not. And it was _my_ fault».  
Seto raised an eyebrow: «Your fault? What does that mean?».  
To his utter incredulity, the Pharaoh burst into silent tears, salty streams flowing down his face. Something Seto didn’t believe possible about his rival.   
«It was me. _I_ activated the Seal of Orichalcos. Rafael gave that damn card to me, and I was enough reckless and idiot to actually use it. I wanted to win that fucking Duel no matter the cost, and because of my fucking pride I lost something much more important».   
Ignoring the startled face Seto made at his swears, the Pharaoh snorted a pained laugh, intertwining his hands and fingers to keep them from shaking: «Rafael was right. I don’t deserve to be in this world. I should have remained in the Shadows, where I would not be able to hurt people. Not Yugi, not you, not anyone else. I caused so much pain to everyone… I’m nothing but a dark spirit seeking the unknown», he said, his last words lost in the tears still streaming down his cheeks, reduced to mere whispers.   
Soon after, the Pharaoh started crying for good, sobbing and sniffling, his voice barely discernible: «The Orichalcos should have taken me. Not Yugi. He… he didn’t deserve it!».

 

Seto didn’t say anything.  
Instead, he patiently waited for the Pharaoh to regains his composure, giving him time to calm down and stop his weeping.   
He knew how he felt.   
That was the same state of mind Seto had as a child, at first after his parent’s death and then because of Gozaburo’s actions.   
With time, Seto had learned to hide sorrow and melancholy, and never let anyone see them, not even Mokuba. He hid them so much,  truth be told, his brother had never seen him shed a single tear.  
He couldn’t afford himself that kind of weakness, not in the position he was in, still considered too young and naïve by everyone.  
He let the Pharaoh pour out his feelings and stayed there, watching him taking long and deep breaths once the tears had dried, relieving the weight he, Seto could imagine, felt on both his heart and shoulders.  
Then he asked the question he should have brought to him at the beginning of their conversation: «Why did you call me? I can’t imagine I’m among your “people able to comfort” options».  
Harsh words, but said in a gentle tone that caught off guard the CEO himself after saying those.  
The Pharaoh smiled sadly: «You can understand, Seto. You know what it feels like when someone takes away a loved one», he replied, his voice so faint Seto had to turn up the volume to hear it.  
But then he frowned: «You… you called me Seto. You never call me by my… whatever».   
The CEO shook his head, but surprising himself yet another time, he spoke with kind sincerity, in an attempt to comfort his interlocutor: «You will find him. Yugi will come back, Pharaoh, don’t stop believing it. But don’t rely on sheer hope, or you’ll get hurt even more».  


_Pharaoh_.  


He smiled again, gloomily: «And you just called me Pharaoh», he replied. «Seto… thank you».  
Seto snorted: «For what? Not having closed the call in your face just to not be rude? For telling you not to hope too  much in a miracle?».  
«Thank you _for listening_. And yes, thank you for telling me to not hope too much». Other tears, a solitary couple that time, rolled down on the Pharaoh’s cheeks. «I needed it more than I wanted to admit».

 

Then, the Pharaoh suddenly ended the video call, and for Seto there was nothing left but to stare at his reflection on the black screen that followed.   
And to his surprise, his reflection stared back at him with a tear-streaked face.

 

 

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Yugi’s upset face reminded Seto of the expression he saw on his own in the mirror, when he was a child, after managing to escape Gozaburo’s punishments and “training”, as he liked calling his violence.

A few years earlier, Seto would have never admitted it out loud, but he was really grateful to Mokuba for staying, not only the day before, but also that morning.  
In that way Seto, even by not directly knowing it, could count on someone able to help him back on his feet, if past and memories would overwhelm him as well after saving Yugi from his ones.  
«Thank you. I mean it», he repeated.  
Mokuba smiled at him, comfortingly: «You’re my brother, Seto. There’s no need to thank me».

 

«Mokuba? Who came here to see us?».  
Yugi’s voice, low and husky, interrupted their conversation.  
Still yawning, with messy pajamas and disheveled hair, and the Millennium Puzzle safe around his neck, Yugi approached the door showing a questioning expression.   
Even Atem, floating at his side in contrasting flawlessness, was wondering the same thing.  
«Oh, right! I’m sorry, by the way. I wouldn’t have woken you, otherwise», Mokuba apologized, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed look on his face.  
Yugi yawned again, covering his mouth with a hand: «Don’t worry about it. It’s late anyways», he said. «So? Who came here?».  
Mokuba raised his eyebrows, looking a little worried: «Marik and Bakura. I honestly can’t imagine what they could be doing here».  
Seto frowned: «What? Did they tell you something? They never came here», he said, perplexed.   
Although the two Egyptians were among the few people who Seto could almost consider, according to Yugi, friends, he could not explain the reason for such a sudden and unannounced visit.   
Mokuba shook his head: «I’m as confused as you. They just told me they want to talk to you», he replied, shrugging. «Nothing else».  
Seto glanced at Yugi, questioningly; if he didn’t want to talk to anyone, the CEO would ask Marik and Bakura to leave and come back another day.  
Yugi, however, nodded reassuringly: «That’s all right… I’m curious enough to actually want to know what they want», he then said, to Mokuba. «It’s strange that they came here. Especially Bakura», he added after a short pause.  
Seto didn’t reply; he had many questions buzzing in his head, but the CEO would have preferred to address them to those directly involved rather than expose every single one aloud at that moment.  
Why did Bakura, above all people, came to his house?  
He changed behavior over time, after getting accustomed to the modern world himself instead of living in it through a host, but he was still unpredictable at times, especially against Yugi and Atem. Occasionally, also against Seth, when he showed up.  
And how did he know Yugi was there, at the mansion? Seto made sure to call only his grandfather to let the old man know where his grandson was.  
«I’ll tell them to wait in the living room, then», Mokuba said, distracting Seto from his thought and already turning away to tell their unexpected guests.

 

Without getting rid of his confused expression, Seto closed the door and headed for the bathroom, wanting to take a quick shower before meeting Marik and Bakura down in the living room.   
He glanced at Yugi, mutely asking him if he wanted to join, and Yugi contemplated the idea, but he then declined.   
Yugi shook his head with made up confident eyes and sat down on the unmade bed, waiting patiently for his turn in the shower.  
He would have liked to share the warm water with Seto, but he felt an uncomfortable sensation crawling on his back at the thought of being both naked and up close in a small space. The sudden image of blood tricking down on his body in the place of clear water flashed in front of his eyes, and Yugi felt sick for a bit.  
_“Is everything all right, partner? Your mind has taken dark turns”_.  
Atem floated by his side and sat on the mattress at a short distance, his ethereal figure unable to sink in its softness. The jewels adorning him from head to toe, a cascade of gold ornaments, glimmered and sparkled with every movement.  
Yugi nodded, but then shook his head: “I don’t know, Atem. I was hoping to have finally overcome these… these crises”, he replied, head bowed. “I thought all of this could finally get better, but... apparently tragedies and troubles don’t know when to stop with me”.  
A single couple of tears left his eyes at those words, too tiny to be even seen, but the Pharaoh knew better.  
If Atem could have put an arm around Yugi’s shoulders and drag him to himself for comfort, he would have done it.   
Instead, the spirit’s incorporeal body could not do such thing, and he had to be content to soften and sweeten his expression: _“Give yourself the time you need, partner. Everything will work out, eventually. Have faith in yourself, Yugi”._  
The King of Games sighed, shaking his head again, but then looked up at the spirit: “Do you really think so?”.  
Atem nodded: _“Believe me, Yugi. I don’t think that. I know that. And something tells me that Bakura could have the same opinion”_.

Seto’s return into the bedroom, with damp hair and naked if not for a towel wrapped around his hips, interrupted their silent conversation, and Yugi gave the CEO a weak smile: «Thank you. For being patient with me».  
He had wanted to say that for a while, but never found the courage to do so. Yugi feared the CEO was going to get mad at those words, knowing Seto’s pride and sense of justice.  
He didn’t.   
Instead, Seto approached Yugi and leaned forward to leave a light kiss on his forehead: «Don’t even say it. You put up with a lot more trouble with me, and besides… I can’t imagine leaving you on your own», he replied, in a low voice. «I love you, Yugi».  
Yugi smiled again, more genuinely than before, and raised a hand to caress Seto’s cheek: «I love you too», he whispered. «Now move, I need to take advantage of your shower».

 

Yugi wasted no time in front of the large bathroom mirror. Quickly, he took off his pajamas and underwear and stepped straight into the shower, without looking at his reflection.  
He didn’t want to see, again, the pale scars marking his body, much less those that enveloped his neck and wrists like macabre jewels, pitiless shadows of his never-ending misfortune.   
The stream of water took just a little time to warm up and Yugi stayed under it for a while, motionless, letting the hot shower flow on him, hoping it would take away his bad memories, even if only for a few hours.   
Then, with a resigned sigh, Yugi grabbed a bottle of shower gel and lathered himself, wondering why the two Egyptian showed up at the mansion to see them.

 

Fifteen minute later, Yugi decided to borrow Seto’s clothes to put them on instead of his own ones, preferring something more comfortable than leather pants and a skin-tight shirt.   
After being robbed of his Blue Eyes hoodie, Seto rummaged in the closet and pulled out a turtleneck sweater, avoiding any complaints.   
It was too embarrassing to admit it, but Yugi was nothing but adorable with his clothes on, too big for him, so much that in order to use his hands the man had to pull back the sleeves several times.   
«Seto…?».  
«Mh?».  
«You’re blushing».

 

 

Marik and Bakura were cheating time with Mokuba, all three of them sitting on the couch in the living room and engaged in a heated conversation about the last videogame, a smash hit for computer and console. However, they hushed immediately when Seto and Yugi stepped into the room.  
«Mokuba? Could you leave us alone, please?».  
The younger Kaiba looked up questioningly at Marik, but said nothing.   
Instead, he got up from the couch and left the living room, careful to close the door behind him.   
Seto crossed his arms, still standing by the door, and frowned: «Ok, spit it out. What are you doing here? It’s not a common thing for you two to come here, above all without a notice».  
Bakura sighed; to an inexperienced eye he might have seemed exasperated by Seto’s tone, but the King of Thieves had long learned to ignore his inability to be a social person. In that, they highly resembled each other.  
«Listen, I know this sounds strange to you», he began. «Especially because I, of all people, came here. Fuck, I was a right bastard, more than ever against Yugi and Atem».  
«Yeah, no kidding».  
Yugi glared at Seto; he got along with the thief, but their constant bickering had no end.  
Bakura ignored him again: «I’m here for a good reason. Marik came with me because… well, because _I needed his support_ », he said, emphasizing the last words by glancing at Yugi.   
Yugi shuddered as his eyes locked with the dreary, purple ones of the former grave-robber, but managed to pull out a puzzled expression: «What do you mean, Bakura?».  
«Sit down, both of you. It’s important», Marik said, gesturing at the empty spaces on the couch between him and Bakura. «Particularly for you, Yugi».

 

Taken aback by the turn of the conversation, Yugi and Seto sat down without commenting, although the latter had not completely lost his scowl.  
Once the four of them were comfortably settled on the couch, Bakura spoke to Yugi, occasionally glancing at both Seto and Marik: «Yugi… I want you to be honest with me. Completely honest and straightforward, ok? Even if it may seem very difficult».  
«Bakura, what the hell…».  
The King of Thieves silenced him, and put a hand on his shoulder: «I want you to tell me what happened to you after the last tournament you participated in».  
Yugi’s eyes widened: «Wha-what?! I mean… what do you want to… what do you mean by saying that?!». His voice was so high pitched there was no way he was able to fool him. Not even the slightest chance.  
The expression on Bakura’s face hardened, making him look a lot more like the man who, thousands of years before, had threatened to kill the Pharaoh and gain his revenge.  
His eyes, obscured by a pronounced but not hostile frown, closed form a moment before staring back in crimson-streaked, violet ones: «Don’t play dumb, Yugi. Please».

 

Seto tried to interfere, clearly noticing the discomfort in Yugi’s posture and expression: «Bakura, what are you…».  
«No, wait», Marik interrupted him, whispering. «Thrust him. Only for this time».  
«I don’t think this is a good idea», Seto replied in the same tone, but he refrained himself from punching the Egyptian in the face and stayed in his place. «What the fuck do you think you’re doing?».  
At the slightest signal of uneasiness from Yugi, Seto was ready kick out his two guest without thinking twice about it.

 

After making sure to not undergo any further interruptions, Bakura resumed his speech: «After the end of that tournament, you disappeared. The day after your victory was all over the place, on all existing media, but _you_ were gone. Then, days later, all your friend suddenly came to know you are hospitalized, but no one is allowed to see you because you were apparently involved in a serious accident and couldn’t be visited.   
And since you came back home, you’ve started behaving strangely, and your exchanges with Atem were more frequent than ever».  
He took a deep breath, and continued: «You didn’t look like you, you _don’t_ look like you. Not as you once were, at least. The rest of your friends never noticed it, because you are good at hiding not only your feelings, but also the fact that very rarely you actually were the one talking to them, and not Atem. But you can’t fool me.   
I saw the poison you threw out, on that night. And I was in the crowd yesterday. Something happened to you, and I want to know about it».

 

Yugi backed up, distressed.  
Bakura had to be out on one of his nocturnal excursions, if he had been able to find the trash-bag Yugi had thrown away, after coming back home as himself. And he must have seen him collapse on the ground the day before.   
But why was he being so insistent about it?  
Even though they both overcome their difficulties in putting up with each other, Bakura and Yugi had never gotten along too well.  
Sure, they often went out together, Dueled too, but their conversations had never gone further than the classic discussions about games and such. Nothing they talked about ended up on a personal level.  
«Why do you want to know? I don’t see any reason why I should answer you, Bakura, friends or not», he replied at last, after a long moment of indecision.  
Bakura grunted, but didn’t grow impatient.  
Instead, he folded his arms and looked away from Yugi, lowering his gaze: «Because I think I know what you’ve been through. And I can help, if you let me».  
His voice became a whisper, filled with bitterness: «I’ve never had the opportunity to get help. I don’t want it to be the same for you».  
With his eyes still wide open, Yugi cocked his head to the side: «You… know? How do you know?».  
Bakura stared at the floor with empty eyes, his smile sad and trembling: «How do you think I died, in my real past life*?».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I said "real past life", for obvious reasons. We all know Bakura's soul retained a part of Zorc's, when he died and became the Spirit of the Ring. But, the Memory World was just a game. The Ultime Shadow Game created by Yami Bakura to challenge the Pharaoh and get his revenge by playing unfair with his hourglasses. Although the Memory World retained some truth about the past (well, I'm think so, at least), it was a game. Bakura didn't die the way he died in the Memory World, that's for sure.   
> So to speak, I gave myself a considerably larger "blank sheet" to create Ancient Egypt backstories, according to the "the Memory World events didn't happen exactly like that in the past" headcanon. 
> 
>  
> 
> Before leaving you, I wanted to say a word about Bakura's role and personality in all this. If you're not interested, you can ignore this part, it's not vitally important for the story itself. 
> 
> This story is becoming a lot more deep and complex than what I originally planned, and I wanted to give more of a "human" feel to his character, instead of the whole "he came back and get along with the squad but is basically an asocial asshole" thing.   
> That's what I literally wrote in his first appearance, in an earlier chapter of this story.  
> What I actually want from Bakura is his humanity, showing not only with Marik (yes, another thing I don't like too much about this issue), but also with people he wants to care about. I wanted him to do something good and kind (by his own standards) because I feel like this is a thing often overlooked by the fandom. I could be wrong, though.   
> That's why I wanted him to just say "screw it, I'm gonna help my former enemy", because it's a part of his development I almost never see in fan works. 
> 
>  
> 
> As always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally improving on spacing the paragraphs, yay!  
> I'm too used to the Italian format, really, I need practice with this shit.
> 
> Small but important note about Bakura:  
> I know the fandom likes to see him as a straight up asshole with a hidden (reeeeaaaally hidden) sweet side, but I feel like he would be a hell of a friend about serious stuff. Anyway, this is just my headcanon, I'm not going to force anything on anyone. 
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit more tedious, because of all of the talking and shit, but I needed to get this done because is an essential part of the story and of Yugi's mental health. This chapter is way longer that it should have been for this reason, too. 
> 
> The last bit can be somewhat disturbing, if you are easily grossed out by bloody and disgusting places, but it's just a tiny part, nothing too much to worry about.
> 
> Another brief note before leaving you to the story, a more... technical one, is about some modifications I did to the tags. If you don't care about this, just skip and enjoy the story, it's not that important.  
> Mostly because I replaced the Polarshipping one (aka Joey/Mai) to be only mentioned, because there has been a change of plans in the story, and that ship will no longer be present as much. 
> 
> That's it! Enjoy the story!

Shocked, Yugi stared at Bakura for what seemed like an eternity, unable to look away from the bitter expression of the man who had once been the ruthless and determined King of Thieves.   
Bakura’s milky white mane, an almost painful contrast against his tanned skin, shaded his face, but the man’s eyes were still visible, motionlessly fixated on the polished floor.

 

Seto was the first to recover from the surprise: «Bakura, what…?».  
His impulse to get up from the couch and kick the Egyptian’s ass was suddenly gone, replaced by a morbid curiosity the CEO knew to be negative, but he couldn’t repress it as much as he tried.  
From the darkness within the Millennium Rod, Seth’s presence became more and more vital on the edges of Seto’s mind, and the CEO felt the Priest’s memories invade his own.  
A white-haired prisoner, knelt on a stone floor and immobilized by heavy iron chains bounding his wrists and ankles, flashed insistently behind the man’s eyes, like images on a broken TV screen.  
In an instant, Seto found himself secluded in his Soul Room, a place he hadn’t visited in an _extremely_ long time.

 

«Oh, you remember, don’t you? The exact moment your guards led me to your feet. You, sitting on the golden throne the Pharaoh had given you with so much indulgence and generosity, wearing the heavy crown of Egypt, staring down at me, a roach ready to be finally crushed».  
In a half-disdainful, half-distressed tone, Bakura lifted his eyes from the floor to lock them into Seth’s deep blue ones, still wide-open due to the sudden swap of places.  
The Thief King frowned, and let out a mocking laugh upon recognizing Priest Seth in front of him: «You know, for a moment back then I _really_ hoped to see you acting like a merciless Pharaoh. I hoped for a death sentence to be announced then and there. I had almost come to believe in that frail hope, thinking about how much you would have wanted your revenge on the one who made you suffer, the one who made your precious Atem take his life and disappear».  
He paused, looking down at his shaking hands, but hurried to continue: «But… no. You decided to leave me in the hands of those guards, with just an order to get me away from the kingdom and make sure I would no longer be a threat for Egypt».

 

«Are you implying your death it was _my_ fault?!», Seth thundered. «What makes you think I would have wanted such a horrible thing to happen?!»

 

Hearing the man's voice roaring, Yugi, who until then hadn’t looked away from Bakura, realized Seto’s sudden change of personality, or rather, his soul-swap, and swiftly reached out to grab Seth's hand in his own: «Calm down, Seth. I'm sure he didn’t mean that».

 

Bakura, who was about to reply ignoring Yugi’s intervention, caught Marik’s glance from behind the man and lowered his tone; Seth’s reaction was valid, that’s what those amethyst eyes were telling him.  
«Fine, Yugi’s right. I didn’t mean to put the blame on you», he said, subsequently. «I know you had no idea about what they would do to me. I told you, I had  _hoped_ for you to be enough merciless to slit my throat then and there, but you were not».  
Then he sighed, relaxing against the huge cushions of the couch: «This isn’t the point. I’m not here to talk about me. I’m here to help Yugi, because I know I can do something about it».

 

Spirits placated, Seth sealed himself back in the Millennium Rod, returning a confused and irritated Seto in his body without too many compliments and with no warnings.   
Shell-shocked , Seto took a while to recover, feeling like he had been thrown in a fully functioning, turned on, not human-sized washing machine.

 

«Seto?».

 

The CEO shook his head like a cat, in an attempt to get rid of the unpleasant feeling induced by the soul exchange*, and barely smiled at Yugi: «Don’t worry about me. It’s you we need to think of, right now», he said, for once showing out loud to be in agreement with Bakura without first bitching endlessly about it.

 

Shaking off the unwanted distraction, Bakura returned paying attention to Yugi, who did the same, although he still felt reluctant to deal with the subject.  
He would have liked to ask the Thief King why, of many times, he had chosen that very day to show up and talk to him, but he already knew the answer would have been too blunt to be any sort of kind.  
Almost nothing was kind with Bakura, after all.  
‘Because I saw you collapsing, yesterday, and I figured you needed a good scolding, today’, Yugi imagined him to say.  
«Why do you want to help me?», he asked, instead.

 

Bakura frowned: «Isn’t it obvious?».

 

«No… yes, of course is obvious», Yugi replied.   
«What I find difficult to understand is… why do you want to help me, if you have to remember your past too in doing so?».  
Even if Bakura didn’t actually said it out loud, it wasn’t so difficult to understand those moments had been traumatic for him too, not to mention the Thief King wasn’t _just dead_ , but had to “live” in the shadows for thousands of years, with Zorc Necrophades as his only company.  
All the while, maybe constantly remembering the horrible way in which he had left the world of the living, consumed by hatred and yearning for revenge in order to save his slaughtered family and village.

 

Bakura snorted a grin: «With time you get used to bad memories. Three thousand years spent mulling over pain and injustice are quite a lot, after all», he replied.   
«Ask your friend, he’ll say the same thing».

 

Yugi noticed his voice wasn’t firm as the man clearly wanted it to sound, but he didn’t point that out.  
Instead, by glancing at Seto to catch his expression on the matter, Yugi accidentally noticed Marik’s: his eyes were telling a whole different story.

 

«Alright, let’s stop  musing on Ancient Egypt crap», Bakura cut off his thoughts. «Yugi, you have to tell me. What happened to you?».  
The same question he asked moments before.

 

Reluctantly, Yugi glanced again at Seto, knowing he couldn’t evade the question once more.  
He also knew that, if he refused to talk because he didn’t want to, the CEO wouldn’t hesitate a second to kick the two Egyptians out of the mansion, manners or not.   
Besides, his most rational part was telling him he couldn’t continue to rely on himself and Atem alone to encourage all his attempts on feeling better.  
He had a clear evidence the day before, when he just gave in to his memories, despite both Atem and Seto being there with him.   
Over two months, Yugi had voluntarily isolated himself from all his friends, to avoid telling them half-hearted truths more than he had already done.  
He had pushed Seto away, so as not to put on his shoulders the weight of even more abuses, not after what he himself had endured to protect Mokuba.   
He hadn’t wanted to even let his own family near, so that his grandfather knew almost nothing and his mother was completely unaware of what happened.   
He also realized very quickly that, with someone at his side ready to help him, or support him, Yugi would have recovered, if not faster, at least with less hiccups along the way.   
The King of Games, however, never resolved to admit it.

So, for the first time in weeks, Yugi straightened his shoulders and took a long breath, trying to make the events re-emerge without finding himself to live them again in first person, trying as much as possible to explain and tell what broke him, looking straight in the eyes of the person who died because of the same fate.  
He didn’t need to put in plain words those moments to make Bakura understand his state of mind, to make him understand how much his psyche was left weakened, tired and frightened.   
He didn’t need to describe him how much the violence killed him inside, hurting more and more every passing second.   
Then again, the part of the stoic, third person narrator didn’t stand for too long.

Yugi soon found his face wet with pained tears, drops of salty liquid running down his cheeks as he spoke, but the man didn’t stop.   
He couldn’t, now that he had started talking. He didn't want to.  
He continued until he reached the end of the story, until the moment when Atem roared all his anger from inside the Puzzle, making it shine as bright as the Sun God himself.   
Until the moment when, torn from his earthly life and hurled pitilessly into the Shadow Realm, one of Yugi’s tormentors had collapsed to the ground, his soul lacerated and extirpated by the implacable command of the Millennium Rod.  
Yugi shuddered at the memory, even though it was blurry an nearly non-existent, of Seto’s figure enveloped by the golden light of his Millennium Item, the Eye of Wdjat glowing threateningly and contradictingly dark on his forehead.

 

In that, Bakura quickly glimpsed at Seto, who at the mention of that episode had crossed his arms so tightly they seemed to be stuck together, holding them as far as possible from the Millennium Rod he had on him.  
The CEO gave no signs of having noticed the eloquent look of the Thief King, but he had clearly detected it.   
In it, Seto had seen an understanding that went way far beyond a mere realization of how much power was inebriating.   
Seto could tell, Bakura _knew_ how much the man was terrified by the power of the Millennium Rod, but he also knew the CEO would never hesitate to use it again if he had the opportunity to put his hands on the last criminal.   
And that opportunity had seemed so close Seto could almost touch it, the moment he saw Yugi’s aggressor the day before.  
He refrained himself only for Yugi’s sake.  
Seto would have never used the Millennium Rod in his presence, not to hurt someone, not even to take rightful revenge.   
Yugi (and Atem despite the darkness they both endured was partly his fault) had had his business to recover from the action fulfilled by the spirit possessing him, from all the Penalty Games the Pharaoh, confused and drenched in shadow, had inflicted on dozens of people.  
The CEO still remembered the first time Yugi’s dark half faced him, nearly causing him to go mad.

 

Yugi didn’t notice their rapid exchange of looks, and concluded the story with one last tear rolling down his cheek.   
Then, regardless of what Bakura wanted of not, he got up from the couch only to fall again on it, in Seto’s arms, seeking refuge and comfort in his embrace.   
Seto didn’t reject him, in spite of his darkened mood, so Yugi was basically hidden in the man’s arms when Bakura took the floor again.

 

«You never tried to talk about it with someone, Yugi. Why? As difficult as it is, you have to admit being able to share such a burden with other people you trust is not the most terrible thing out there», Bakura said, running a hand through his ungodly hair.   
«When I told Marik about it, after coming back… I don’t say I suddenly felt better, but knowing someone is there, capable to support and understand you, is a great thing».  
The former Thief King sighed: «You didn’t want do, did you?».

 

«Is that why Marik’s here? To support you?».

 

«As I said before, Yugi, I _need_ Marik. Do you think I could have talked with so much tranquility if I were to come here alone?», Bakura replied, hinting at the other Egyptian.  
«But, I asked you a question. I want you to answer it».

 

Faced with Bakura’s dry and sever tone, Yugi shrunk in Seto’s laps, but before he or Atem could intervene in some ways, the man decided to answer.  
Bakura had been honest with him, after all, and Marik was surely showing encouragement to the Thief King, faithful to his words.  
Yugi sadly shook his head: «I never told anyone. Not even my grandfather», he sighed. «Probably, it Seto wouldn’t have been the one that saved me, I… I don’t think he would know, either», Yugi added a while later, sincere as he had never been.  
He then turned to face Seto, even though he couldn’t make out his expression from his current position: «I’m sorry».  
Yugi knew how much Seto hated not to be aware of issues regarding people he cared about and loved.

 

Seto shook his head simultaneously with Bakura.  
«Don’t feel guilty, Yugi. Don’t apologize if you feel your action are appropriate for the state of mind you’re in. Either right or wrong, your decisions aren’t to be influenced by others, especially the most personal ones. You change them only if _you_ want to change them», said the Egyptian.  
Bakura bent his lips in a sour grin: «What a beautiful life lesson, isn’t it? A thief with an unholy passion for revenge and murder speaking about right and wrong choices».

 

«Bakura…».  
Marik’s voice, for the first time since the discussion he had with Seto, made itself being heard in the silence that had fallen after Bakura’s assertion, and the latter abandoned his contemptuous expression in favor of a more neutral one.

 

«What I’m trying to say, Yugi, is: talk to someone who’s not Seto. To your grandfather, first. I can imagine you thought you had it easier because of Atem’s help, but the Pharaoh is nothing but a guest spirit living in your head».

 

«Yeah, I figured», Yugi muttered.  
“Not that I’m not grateful to you, Pharaoh”, he added mentally, addressing the second soul residing in his body.

 

 _“Listen to what he has to say, partner, and don’t worry about hurting my feelings. I know you have no resentment of the little help I was able to offer you”_.

 

Bakura paid little attention to the interruption, even though the light in his eyes seemed to become sharper: «You must be able to count on someone in your immediate vicinity, Yugi. I’m not saying having Atem hasn’t simplified your situation, but you need to stop counting on him alone. Just like you can’t rely only on Seto when Atem can't figure out something to do. You need to be able to reach for more than one person, in case you require help. Any kind of help».  
The Thief King grunted, folding his arms: «I know I’m not the friendliest of people, okay? I also am absolutely aware I’m not the most suitable person to tell others to rely on family».  
At those words, Bakura stopped talking, his eyes suddenly empty.

  
Without wondering, Yugi knew his mind was wandering towards his native village, Kul Elna.

  
A few moments later, just before Marik could make up his mind and get up to move closer, Bakura started taking again: «What you should do, Yugi, is talk to your grandfather as soon as you can. Choose a couple of friends and talk to them too. I’ll be available, if you need help to ward off the pain, for a while. Stop isolating yourself, you would accomplish nothing but drown in your own inability to move forward. I went through there. I shut out the possibility to move on and live merrier thoughts. You’ll leave it behind you, Yugi, little by little. Not completely, that’s for sure, but the memories will eventually stop tormenting you».  
The he sneered again, more sadly that time:«That’s what happened to me. Year after year, while I was lost in the shadows waiting for someone to find and wear the Ring, the memory and the pain of my death became almost invisible. Those feelings stopped being a constant torment, and with time all the suffering I endured relegated itself in a corner of my mind.   
It returns, one in a while, ready to annoy me only when… well, let’s say this. Unless I find myself in a situation of tremendous mental stress, I just need to not think about it and it won’t bother me».

 

Yugi shook his head, still skeptical, but Seto spoke before he could open his mouth: «You’ve had ages, Bakura. How can you think a normal person can recover to such an extent without _that_ amount of time at hand?».  
He may have said too much, but the CEO stood his ground.  
The memory of Gozaburo was still so fresh in his mind it still continued giving him nightmare after nightmare, despite Seto’s constant efforts to relegate the step-father to the darkest and deepest side of his psyche.  
And Gozaburo had happened when Seto was still a kid.   
Years later, he made microscopic progress about it.

 

«As I mentioned, having a three thousand years old spirit in your head is not that bad of a thing. I wouldn’t have said anything, if I wasn’t convinced by my words. It’s not my fault _you_ cannot even count on the help of the spirit that lives inside your body».

 

«Bakura!».  
Marik intervened before Set could shake Yugi off and attack Bakura, standing between him and the Thief King, already up and ready to defend himself.  
«Take back what you said. Now».

 

The Thief King, affronted and nearly betrayed, took a few steps back: «What?! I have no intention of taking it back. I’m right and you know it! Which side are you on?!».

 

«I'm not on anyone's side. Right or not, you’re not here to argue with him!».

 

«I’m not even here to argue with you, dammit!».

 

Marik wanted to reply, but the startled look on Yugi’s face told him the waters had been shook enough.   
So, he turned to face Seto: «Do you want us to leave? I can understand if that’s the case».

 

«It depends. Is your boyfriend finished talking with Yugi?».

 

At those words, Bakura calmed down considerably and sat on the couch again, sinking in the cushions while avoiding any visual contact with Seto, who still looked at him sideways, scornfully.   
Despite Marik’s (almost always justified) fears, Bakura had no desire to fight, but his temperament rarely retreated in the face of a dispute.   
«Fine, let’s calm our spirits. Yugi, can you explain to me why you didn’t want tell anyone?».

 

Still worried for another rage outburst, Yugi bit his lips and waited a bit before answering, alternating anxious glances between Seto and Bakura.   
He didn’t want to hear people screaming, he had enough of his own cries to last him a lifetime.   
Then, Yugi shrugged, hesitant: «Well, I… I just thought… I didn’t want to put anyone in trouble for me».

 

«Yugi…».

 

«I know», he sighed. «I know, there’s no need to say it».

 

Bakura ignored that: «For gods’ sake, you _have_ to stop putting other people in front of you. It doesn’t do you any good to always think only about the well-being of someone who’s not you, Yugi. You don’t always have to be the one ready to help everyone at the slightest hint of difficulty or risk, in any situation. Hell, I know something about that.  
My desire to put the souls of all the people who unjustly died in Kul Elna before everything regarding my own health brought me on the verge of insanity. Zorc aside, I had become so obsessed with the chance to give them access to the afterlife I forgot to take care of myself.   
I did too many mistakes to be proud of my life, if you could even call it that. Don’t make the same ones, or things will never get better, as far as you want to believe».

 

The King of Games found nothing to reply with.  
Yugi had always put the lives of his friends in front of his own, from saving Seto in Duelist Kingdom to giving up his only chance of protection during the crazy fight against Yami Alexander.   
He had risked drowning to save Joey in Battle City, voluntarily losing their Duel even knowing the life prize he would have paid in case of a defeat.  
He had stood on the forefront against Noah, with only a handful of Life Points and the trust in his cards while facing a huge, seemingly invincible and overpowered monster, his own body at stake.  
He had surrendered his own soul to save the Pharaoh’s, and he let the Seal of Orichalcos claim it, without blaming Atem for his inconsiderate and selfish use of the card.  
Bakura was nothing but right.  
Yugi never cared enough about his well-being, and now that he needed help, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for it.

 

The Thief King must have seen Yugi’s melancholy and dejected expression, because when he spoke again, his raspy voice showed a much moderate expressiveness: «I know the pain you feel, and I know what’s left. I can perfectly imagine how much you felt lost, and terrified. How much you thought you couldn’t trust anyone, not even yourself.   
I know it.  
Just like I know, even if you’ll never admit it, it’s not only your unbearable and impossible kindness what makes you want to protect your friends and be silent, but also the fear that them, or your family, may judge you, or worse, turn their back on you because they don’t know how to help, or how to understand. It’s not that difficult to see, when you know what you’re looking for».  
Surprisingly, Bakura held out a hand and grabbed one of Yugi’s, with a gentleness that man seemed impossible to show: «You can count on Seto, on me, on Marik, on every single one of your friends if you decide to tell them. You need to know you have Atem and Seth by your side. You also need to know your family will never leave you alone.   
Now look at me straight in the eye and tell me that knowing all this, knowing you’ll always have a shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh and joke with to cheer you up, doesn’t make you feel better.  
Look at me and tell me the awareness of having people willing to help you it not enough to reject that horrible experience, even if slowly.  
Look at me and tell me that realizing you have friends, a family, a someone who loves you like no one else in the world doesn’t make you feel alive again.  
Look at me and tell me you’ll never be able to smile and be happy again, even if you have a lot of people caring about you».

 

And Yugi did that.  
He looked at him straight in the eyes, I those bottomless, ageless pits full of the shadows Bakura had endured on his back and his heart.  
And he couldn’t say anything.  
Instead, Yugi lowered his head and felt new tears making their way down his face, salty drops falling quietly from his eyes, trailing his cheeks before fading.  
Tears, for once, not made of sadness. Not of fear. Not of pain.  
When Yugi collected the strength to lift his head, his lips where painted with a grateful smile, brighter than it had even been in those last days.

Yugi was speechless.   
Of all the people who tried to convince him to regain his cheerful nature, the one that actually succeeded was Bakura.   
Seto had brought him back to his life.  
His grandpa had put him back on his feet.  
His friend unknowingly distracted him, thought his happiness remained short-lived.  
But Bakura…

Instead of forcing a smile on his face, Bakura had shown Yugi it was not impossible to achieve one on his own, despite having suffered an apparently undefeatable shock.  
Bakura died at the hands of violence, returned as a spirit, died again in his own lost battle and had been pulled back from the shadows.   
But he never forgot to live.   
And he managed to use his knowledge to break through the walls Yugi had built around his mind, to protect the others and himself from disappointment, fear and weakness. Walls that not even Seto and Atem could destroy completely.  
Yugi had never really thought things could improve.  
He had resigned himself to the idea of living a recycled happiness, although his feelings and emotions remained somewhat authentic.  
And the nightmares kept gnawing and nibbling at his determination, infiltrating at the slightest sign of yielding, contaminating his smile, his intentions, all his unspoken words.  
Bakura managed to remind Yugi to grit his teeth, force back his nightmares and rebuild the corrupted parts of his mind.  
While Seto saved his life, Bakura put it back on the tracks from which it had derailed.   
All it took was a different approach, and a little bit of courage.

«Bakura… thank you».

 

 

Shortly after, Mokuba knocked on the living room door, asking if the Marik and Bakura were going to stay for lunch or not.  
Yugi’s answer was positive; he wanted the two Egyptians to be around for a while more, seeing he was feeling a lot better about the turmoil in his head.  
Grumbling, Seto glared at Bakura, but his annoyance came mostly from the way the Egyptian put his feet on the coffee table without taking off his shoes.   
He couldn’t just shoo the Egyptians away after they offered a helping hand, fight or not.  
«Tell the staff to add two seats, and to cook something vegetarian for Marik», he said.

 

After lunch, which had seen Mokuba entertain an overly intense conversation with Marik about an old videogame called Bloodlines, the two Egyptians left the Kaiba’s mansion.  
Yugi didn’t talk too much while eating, enjoying the – as always – delicious meal, but he bid them a smiley goodbye and waited for the two men to disappear beyond the gate, riding Marik’s motorcycle, before heading back in the living room.  
Seto was already there, sitting on the couch in front of a silent TV and turning the Millennium Rod into his hands, fidgety and meditative.   
He didn’t even notice Yugi’s presence in the room until the King of Games sat down next to him.

 

«Yugi!».  
Startled, Seto quickly put the Millennium Rod away, diverting his restless thoughts to pay attention to Yugi, and folded his arms.  
He wasn’t in the mood of cuddly interaction; Bakura’s speech had put an inexplicable agitation upon him, about the use he had made of his Millennium Item.   
However, even if he failed to put his concerns aside completely, Yugi was finally, truly happy and Seto didn’t want to cloud that moment with his worries.  
«How are you feeling?».

 

Yugi smiled briefly, and nodded: «I’m fine. At least, so it seems. Pretty sure I’m feeling a little bit better that today’s morning. I think Bakura reached the right places. I don’t want to put your help aside – he quickly added, seeing Seto had raised an eyebrow – but that damn thief knows how to keep someone on their feet».  
With a sigh, Yugi sank into the cushions and reached for the remote, immediately turning on the TV.  
He could feel something was off with Seto, but if he didn’t want to talk, Yugi wasn’t about to break in and bombard him with questions.   
Seto would probably just shrug it off and say it was nothing to be worried about, unless _he_ wanted to talk about the issue.

“I hope he’s not feeling left out”.

 

 _“What do you mean?”_.

 

“Well… Seto endured some pretty bad assaults too, when he was a kid. I hope he’s not feeling down because he didn’t want to face the past to help, like Bakura did”.

 

The Pharaoh floated by his side, apparently seated on the couch but in reality hovering on top of it: _“He’s the type to hold in grudges, that’s true, but I don’t think that’s the matter. Why don’t you ask him?”_.

 

Yugi shrugged, not noticeably enough to be seen by Seto: “He’s not going to answer me. You know him”.  
After that, Atem’s spirit returned in the Puzzle and Yugi cut off the voice of a journalist blabbering about some famous pop star’s birthday, changing the channel to find something interesting to watch.  
A short zapping session later, Yugi stopped on a documentary about Ancient Egypt and focused on the images passing on the flat screen, followed by a soothing narrator’s voice.

 

Seto, beside him, paid little attention to the screen and more to Yugi.  
Now that the Egyptians were gone and the conversation was over, the man started wondering on how many mistakes he could have made.  
As much as he appreciated Bakura’s intervention, as sudden as it was, he couldn’t shake off his thoughts about how well Yugi responded to his aid, accepting his helping hand almost instantly, faster than he had ever tried to do with Seto himself or his family.  
Was that because Seto was too scared of recollecting his old memories, subsequently negating Yugi a surely more lovable kindness?  
However, he didn’t remember how he managed to get back on his feet, so his failed attempts at helping burned even more.   
What the fuck was he supposed to do, then?

 

«Hey, Seto?».

 

«Mh?».  
Yugi’s voice made his way into Seto’s confused thoughts, a vortex of guilt, fear and inadequacy, lightening them up a little bit.  
There was no way Yugi could be bitter about his uncertainties.

 

Yugi pointed on the screen, on which images of recently rediscovered ruins where passing: a place so familiar it was engraved in his own memory, despite belonging to the Pharaoh’s.  
«I didn’t think they would show it to the public so immediately. Ishizu said her excavation group found the ruins a very short time ago», the man said.  
The palace shown on screen, not being in any of the most known areas linked to Ancient Egypt’s history due to Atem’s disappearance from existence, had remained unheard of and hidden under the sands of desert for an incredibly long time.  
That, until Atem himself, Seth and Bakura told Ishizu the exact position where the palace once stood, proud and glistening in the sunlight.  
  
Atem’s tomb, on the other hand, was still submerged by scorching sand and debris, because Yugi showed a categorical refuse to its salvage, but the palace was a huge chunk of history gone missing, full of art, hieroglyphics and steles representing two Pharaohs: Atem, and his father Aknamkanon.   
Even though Atem’s images and name were scratched off in most of the cases.  
Some artifacts, kept hidden even from the same people who used to live in the palace, showed the cursed creation of the Millennium Items, a secret that had remained so well guarder it was only know by Bakura, outside the Paharaoh’s Priests circle.   
Ishizu recovered those first, to keep them away from the general public, in order to avoid annoying complications with journalists and historians.  
The mayhem raised about the stone at Luxor’s museum, representing Atem and Seth, had been enough to last a life long time.   
Yugi never saw the end of it, especially from over the top curious journalists, too much interested in knowing how it was possible for a boy living in the modern world to be the carbon copy of a dead Pharaoh.

In the palace nothing represented Seth’s ruling days, because not long after being crowned, the new Pharaoh of Egypt abandoned both the palace and the city, taking his subjects along with his court.  
His had been a difficult decision, but leaving the palace behind, leaving the nameless Pharaoh Atem behind, was the best thing for everyone.

 

«I don’t think it’s open for public visits, anyway», Seto replied.  
The feeling of familiarity he felt in seeing the great halls of the building, though collapsed and fragmented as they currently where, sent a shiver down his spine.  
That palace had been wonderful, an incredible profusion of gold and multicolored paints, hallways and rooms crowded by a continuous coming and going of people, both servants and members of the Pharaoh’s circle.   
Even in the afterlife, if it was that Seto saw in his crazy journey between dimensions, the palace shone as if the sunlight was held prisoner in its walls.  
«Would you like to go there?».

 

Yugi shuddered at the thought: «I would like to, yes. But… not now».  
Even Atem was of the same opinion.  
That palace had, indeed, seen countless good memories, some boring, others exciting, to say the least.  
Mahad screaming at the top of his lungs at Mana and the Pharaoh because they kept hiding in jars was among the best ones.   
  
But it also saw the last moments of Atem’s life, his selfless sacrifice in order to save the people of Egypt.  
That palace was the place in which the Pharaoh put an end to his days and sealed his soul in the Puzzle, to trap an evil too big to be left roaming around, erasing all traces of his existence from history.  
It was not a place to be visited light-heartedly.

 

Seto understood what was going on in Yugi’s mind without needing to ask him.  
After all, Seth’s memories weren’t all lights and smiles just the same, and with the experience Seto himself had with Yami Bakura’s wild Shadow Game RPG…  
«Yeah. Not now», he agreed.

 

 

Mokuba reached Yugi and Seto in the living room at halfway documentary, apparently tired of the videogame he had been playing in the upstairs game room.  
Whining about how much unused material and storylines were present in that game, he volunteered to prepare some popcorn, and a few minutes later the smell of butter and salt filled the air.  
Once returned to the living room, Mokuba handed out a huge bowl full to the brim with hot popcorn to his brother and Yugi and sat down on the couch with his own smaller one, sipping every now and then at the soda he had recovered from the fridge.  
The three men watched the documentary in silence, except for the crunching noise of teeth chewing popcorn and some comment thrown here and there when the narrator got this or that notion wrong about Ancient Egypt.  
Remarkably, Yugi complained loudly when the narrator told the audience that magic was a completely made up belief for the ancient civilization, but then again, supernatural knowledge was better forgotten in modern times.  
Too many people trying to destroy or rule the world, because of it.

At the end of the documentary, Yugi got up from the couch and stretched his hands, giving a quick glance at the clock on his phone: 5 pm.   
«All right», he said, putting the phone back in his pocket. «I think it’s time for me to head home. Grandpa is definitely worried, and after what happened yesterday I don’t want to leave him alone a second night in a row».  
Yugi smiled at Mokuba, who reciprocated, and followed from a short distance by Seto went upstairs into their bedroom, not at all surprised by the immaculate order in which he found the room.  
The bed was so perfect it seemed no one had ever touched it, an imagine coming straight from a furniture catalog. Or a shop display.  
His own clothes, perfectly folded and (Yugi was sure) washed and ironed by Seto’s house staff, were piled neatly on the mattress, at whose feet there were his leather shoes.

 

«You don’t… you don’t need to change», Seto said, noticing Yugi looked quite undecided at the borrowed outfit he was wearing. «You can keep the clothes you have on. It’s not that I’m never getting those back».  
Seto had never been a person very willing to lend his things to other people, with the exception of Mokuba of course, but Yugi was too adorable and cute, swimming in those oversized clothes.  
Again, Seto felt a rush of blood flow into his cheeks, and turned his back to Yugi with an embarrassed mutter; his inability to just _show_ his feeling for what they were continued leaving the CEO confused and flustered.

 

Yugi’s gentle laughter, following soon after, cheered him up: «You blushed again».

 

 

Seto decided to accompany Yugi back home in person, without relying on Roland to act as a driver, so he brought him down in the mansion’s garage.  
The car he had chosen was the least ostentatious he had, despite all of them were made less noticeably by being colored only in shades of black, and Yugi didn’t complain as much as he always did.  
Getting on the driver seat, Seto inserted the keys and turned his head to look at Yugi: «You really should learn how to drive, you know?».

 

Yugi, who had just fastened his seatbelt, snorted: «What do you mean? I _can_ drive. I have a motorcycle, did you forget about it?».

 

«You should learn how to drive _a car_. You can’t possibly go anywhere with a Harley», Seto replied, starting up the car.  
The engine came to life purring like a cat, almost silent. Seto didn’t like noisy cars, even his limousine had a quiet engine.  
«It might be useful, having a car driving license».

 

«I’m not going to give you the perfect excuse to buy me one of your luxury cars», Yugi waved an arm, having the specific intention on dropping the issue. «Bikes are more exciting. It’s like riding a horse, but much better».  
Yugi had the impression Atem slipped his opinion in that answer, and snickered.   
Seto glared at him, so Yugi raised his hands, defeated: «Fine. I’ll think about it. It’s not a bad idea, actually, it could give me a something to focus on. An useful distraction».  
He then sighed, his shoulder dropping: «You need a distraction too. How may things you had on your mind, today?».

 

«If it’s because I kept my distance, I’m trying to do better. You know».

 

«What… no! No, absolutely not, Seto! That’s fine», Yugi hurried to say, in a kind tone. «You know I understand when you don’t want to snuggle or anything. Not that you cuddle, anyway».  
Seto cracked a tiny smile, so Yugi continued: «It’s just… since when Bakura raised the issue about the Millennium Rod, you’ve been distant. Today too, you were staring at that Item like your life was depending on it».

 

A heavy silence filled the car after Yugi’s statement.   
The car left the garage moving smoothly on the concrete of the driveway, and Seto drove into the street after quickly checking there were no other cars of people coming his way.  
«You noticed», he said, finally.

 

«I didn’t connect the two things, at first. But… yeah. I guess I noticed».  
Distracted by the view, although it was by then as familiar as the one near his house, Yugi took a moment longer to shift his attention back on Seto.  
His figure, barely lit by the streetlamps the car was passing, was stiff.   
«What’s the problem? You can tell me, but… if you don’t want to, I won’t blame you. After all, _I said_ I was going to stay silent about my whole problem if you hadn’t found me».

 

Seto sighed, keeping his eyes on the car ahead of him: «You… aren’t you worried I could become like… Ah, screw it. Nevermind».  
Not knowing how to continue his sentence, or how to even start it, really, Seto shook his head and focused on the busy street in front of the car’s headlights, careful to slip between other vehicles without rear-ending them.

 

«What could you become? Seto…?».  
Alarmed, Yugi frowned, gazing at the man in the driver’s seat: «What should I be worr- you’re talking about the Millennium Rod, aren’t you?»  
With a sigh, Yugi lowered his eyes, suddenly interested in the tip of his studded shoes.  
He couldn’t deny being scared Seto would fall victim of the power contained in that Item, despite the dark influence of their creation had been greatly mitigated after Zorc’s defeat and Holactie’s intervention.  
And he certainly couldn’t forget the terror that had seized him at the moment he saw the Eye of Wdjat glowing on Seto’s forehead like a wound made of pure light.   
But…  
«I don’t think you would even be able to become like… well, like Atem used to be, years ago, when I freed him for the first time. The Pharaoh destroyed your dark side a long time ago, at the end of Death-T. That Duel pretty much saved your soul. There’s not much left the Millennium Rod could corrupt, at this point. Moreover, Seth isn’t even a spirit whose last three thousand years had been spent trapped in an Item, so he’s not influenced by the Rod».

 

Stopping at a red light, after another awfully long silence, more than twenty minutes in which Yugi remained patient, finally Seto took his turn to speak: «But… what if it happens? I don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s life. Not… not again», he said. «I don’t want to be responsible for… for hurting you».  
He still saw the dead eyes of the men whose souls he had banished to eternal damnation, every time he closed his own to sleep.   
Faithful companions to his dedicated nightmares.  
He didn’t, of course, add the last exception he was willing to do, before relinquishing those damned, dark powers.   
Another victim weighing on his conscience, but the reward was ridding the world of a bastard, dirty criminal who deserved nothing less than dead and endless suffering in the shadows, surrounded by the same monsters he inflicted on Yugi.  
Nonetheless, the thought of accidentally going crazy, controlled by an Ancient Egypt artifact, had kept him awake more than one night, and that fear only grew stronger after Bakura’s assumption.   
Well, after Bakura’s stare, since he didn’t say anything, but still.

 

«Are you afraid, Seto?».

At the lack of as answer, Yugi puffed, turning his head to look again out the window.  
«You won’t do anything to me. You won’t do anything to yourself, either», he tried to reassure the CEO, glancing at the green light right before the car resumed moving.  
A few hundred meters, and the Game Kame Shop appeared on the side of the road.   
«Shadows are insidious, by they don’t have the necessary strength to claim a soul protected by the white light of a dragon».

 

Seto parked near the sidewalk and put the clutch in neutral, pulling the handbrake.  
Yugi’s accidental compliment made him smile.  
«Do you really believe that?».

 

Yugi nodded: «It’ll be crazy to hear, but your soul is less dark than mine. Don’t worry about it too much, it will only annoy you. Trust me on this».

 

A little bit reassured, Seto caressed Yugi’s cheek and smiled again.  
Then, he shifted on more technical matters, in the bat of an eye: «If you don’t feel like coming to work, tomorrow… it won’t be a problem», he said. «Don’t force yourself. I know you seem to feel better, but…».

 

«Don’t worry», Yugi smiled, his hand already on the handle.  
He pulled up the hood of the Blue-Eyes hoodie, fighting with his spiky hair, and grabbed the bag with his own clothes, a kind gifts from Seto: «I’ll see you at work. Stop being concerned, I’ll be fine».  
Then, he stole a swift kiss, just touching Seto’s cheek with his lips: «And you’ll be fine too».   
With a final goodbye, Yugi opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk, hissing at the cold blast of air that hit his face.

 

«Bring only you Deck and Duel Disk. We have a lot of testing to do, and you’re not going to overwork yourself again», Seto informed him, returning his goodbye.

 

«You’re one to talk».

 

Once he saw Yugi disappear over the threshold of his house, safely locking the door behind him, Seto inserted the gear and re-entered the traffic, annoyed by how many vehicles clogged the street.   
A few block away, Seto stamped his foot on the brake so suddenly the car screeched in protest, and many drivers behind him slammed on the brakes to keep from rear-ending the CEO.  
Seto ignored the loud noise of their horns, his gaze fixated on a person walking by the street.  
On the sidewalk, a few steps away, was the last man Seto needed to bring justice on.

 

 

 

Stalking from a safe distance the man with the scars above his eye, Seto didn’t even worried for a moment about his car, which he had left open and with the keys still inside in the traffic.  
He could buy a new one without even losing money, anyway.  
Once he saw the protagonist, or rather, the antagonist that was haunting his thoughts, the CEO hadn’t thought twice before getting out of the car and start following him, waiting for the appropriate moment to take action.  
The Millennium Rod, carefully hidden in an inside pocket of his long, white coat, weighed more than a boulder on Seto’s conscience, but the man paid that feeling no attention.  
Instead, his hand was ready to pull it out and point it at the criminal who was walking a few steps ahead of him, seemingly unaware of the CEO’s death glare and actions.

As patient as he had never been in almost thirty years of life, Seto continued to stalk his target block after block, cursing silently at the ways he was following, constantly remaining on streets crowded by people, adults and children alike.  
Seto was waiting for nothing but for him to take a fairly deserted path, so as to approach the man and force him to face the CEO.  
When, more than an hour and a half of wandering later, the man changed direction and entered a side alley, Seto quietly exulted, hurrying to avoid losing sight of the target but cautious in making the least noise possible.

Another unspecified number of direction changes and alleyways later, which led Seto into a foul-smelling, crumbling courtyard, the CEO suddenly stopped, having lost sight of the man and realizing only at that moment he had been lured into what had the possibility to prove to be a trap more dangerous than expected.  
His heart beating crazily, Seto immediately grabbed the Millennium Rod, drawing it from its hiding place, and darted his eyes all around him, frantically investigating every crevice and shadow he could detect.  
The courtyard seemed to be part of an old building, in an evident state of disrepair and structural failure, and was submerged with trash, metal scrap and organic junk.  
It probably was one of the older areas in Domino City, left abandoned to itself after the construction of more modern and newer buildings, as Seto was able to elaborate without allowing himself to lower his guard.

However, when no one came to backstab him, the CEO assumed he had merely lost sight of his stalking target, and shifted his attention to the unhinged door facing the courtyard: the only access to the place, not counting the alley in which Seto was standing, his nose wrinkled because of the smell.  
The rest of the courtyard was enclosed by other dilapidated buildings, their windows so dirty and damaged as to appear painted in dull shades of black and brown. Some had bloody handprints on them, Seto realized, shivering.  
One last quick look around, and Seto decided there were no other possible direction to get away from the place.  
Without being able to shake off the unnerving feeling of being unknowingly trapped, Seto approached the back door and, for good measure, took off his coat.  
The white ghostly figure fell on the ground without much regret from Seto’s side; it would have been more difficult to detect him, without that flashy attire.

With the Millennium Bar clamped tightly in his hand, Seto took his time to keep an eye out for noises. When he was sure he heard no footsteps or other sounds caused by a human being, the CEO pushed the door slowly, cursing under his breath when the last intact hinge creaked with a tremendous screech.  
Another pause, then the man entered the unnatural semi-darkness of the building, covering his nose and mouth with a hand so as not to cough; the dust was so thick and so much it was visible in the air.  
While moving forward, Seto thanked the presence of a worm-eaten and decayed carpet beneath his feet, helping him muffle the noise of his footsteps.   
No light was on, and in many housings the bulbs were missing or broken, and fragments of glass, metal and other objects Seto didn’t want to identify covered the floor in various places.  
Here and there, splatters of what seemed blood and other - bodily and not - fluids made Seto want to threw up.

Quiet, swallowing the disgust and stopping every few steps to quickly explore everything he could see in search of emergency hiding spots, Seto cautiously walked forward and peeked into a pair of rooms, equally empty and filthy.   
In what Seto assumed was the kitchen, a trail of blood lead to a table with a missing leg, on top of which was a beheaded goat.  
Forcing back the bile that wanted to climb up his throat, Seto slipped in a short hallway and reached a flight of wood stairs, without handrails and visibly precarious.  
«This situation can’t possibly become more horror cliché than this», he muttered to himself, climbing up the stairs.   
He cursed against every single step, which creaked as soon as he put his foot down on it.  
Seto avoided close call getting stuck in a particularly damaged one, avoiding the hole in the step at the very last moment, and once on the landing he crouched as much as he could: one of the doors on the first floor was ajar, and a faint orange glow came from the slender space between the splintered wood and the wall.

Approaching a little more, Seto managed to catch the mutterings of the delinquent whom he had temporarily lost track of, and flattened himself against the peeling wall while waiting for the right moment to get involved, praying his dark clothes would help him merge with the dim light.

After a seemingly endless period of time, Seto saw hints of movements in the room, judging by how the light appeared and disappeared at irregular intervals.  
Finally, the door opened, framing the emaciated and sick figure of the criminal who had escaped by sheer luck the devastating Millennium Rod’s energy.  
He was much thinner than Seto remembered, almost skeletal; his complexion was a sick shade of yellowish, pale pink, and his bloodshot eyes were darting in every direction like in was in the mortal grip of constant terror.   
Maliciously grinning, Seto found that the man had not escaped whole and unscathed from the crime scene, probably conditioned and disarranged by the wave of power arisen from the Millennium Item.

 

Hoping he would not pass him to reach the stairs, because in that case the CEO would  be surely exposed, Seto breathed a sigh of relief when the man directed his steps to another room, adjacent to the one he was in moments earlier.  
Then, before his target could sense something was going to happen, Seto grabbed him from behind and immobilized his wrists behind his back with one hand, in a tight iron grip helped by the man’s unnatural thinness.

 

«What the fuck… get your hands off of me!», he exclaimed, taken aback.   
When Seto, obviously, didn’t hint at loosening his grip, the man furiously tried to wriggle away, an unsuccessful attempt given his weakness on one hand and the CEO’s strength on the other.  
«Who the fuck are you, uh?! What do you want? Let me go or I’ll…».

 

«Or you… what?».  
Seto, keeping a composed but exuding poison tone, almost swaying, bent down to reach his ear: «What you’re going to do? Call for help? I would advise you, that’s a bad take of action», he whispered, using the same persuasive voice that had made massive and mighty empires kneel at his feet.  
A feigned tone, sweetish in its inflection, but more threatening than a loaded and ready to shoot gun.   
When Seto lifted the Millennium Rod, stretching forward the arm holding it for the man to see, the latter began shaking so much his legs seemed make of bad quality jelly.   
«You remember, don’t you?».

 

The man swallowed, a drop of sweat running down his temple: «R-remember? N-no, I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about», he tried to reply, his word barely discernible.

 

Seto’s eyes flashed menacingly, and he shook off the lower part of the Millennium Rod, subsequently pressing the sharp artifact’s point on his prisoner’s chest, right where his heart was beating madly, thumping so loud the CEO was able to hear it.  
«Really? Are you _sure_ you know nothing?».

 

He nodded convulsively, eyeing the sharp edge of the Rod: «I-I’m sure. I don’t even know… I don’t even know who _you_ are!», the man almost cried, terrified.

 

«Then, allow me to refresh your vague memories», Seto said before relocating the Millennium Rod, pressing its non-lethal end to the man’s forehead.  
Immediately, Seto knew even if he couldn’t see it, his eyes rolled and the criminal became rigid and inert like a statue, while the Millennium Rod poured into his mind all the pain and fear Seto himself had felt upon entering the abandoned warehouse, all the unhealthy rage he had been filled to the brim with.  
The images of Yugi, lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of blood, and of his partner in abomination, invaded every corner of the man’s psyche, flooding it with tainted bloody darkness, until a distressed and frightened scream rose from his throat.  
The sound chilled Seto to the bone, but he didn’t falter.

At that point, Seto interrupted the torturing flow of memories infected by agony and pushed the man forward.  
Unable to stand on his feet , the man tumbled on the stained floor like a rag doll, clutching his body in his arms and trembling so hard he seemed seized with violent convulsions.  
«Look at me, you bastard. Look at me, and remember until the end of time what happens to inhuman beings like you», Seto said, his voice dreadfully overlaid with Seth’s.  
The Eye of Wdjat flashed on Seto’s forehead, burning with flames hotter than hell itself, and the golden glow coming from the Millennium Rod enveloped his figure from head to toe, plunging all the rest around him into the whispering darkness of the Shadow Realm.

Purple, smoky limbs clawed at the criminal’s body, grabbing him by the arms, legs and throat, as Seto raised the Millennium Rod.

The last thing the man with the scarred face saw, before being torn away from the plane of existence, a horrified cry stuck in his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *get it? Soul Exchange? Ahahah...ahah...ah.   
> Please get the keyboard away from me.
> 
> Raise your hands if you noticed the "Marik Plays Bloodlines" and the "Sally Face" references in the chapter.   
> Go stand in a corner and think about your life choices if you didn't notice the "Marik Plays Bloodlines" reference. 
> 
> Also, I had to try like... five times? before getting Aknamkanon's name right. Curse you, Pharaoh. I mean, more than Bakura already cursed you.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.  
> See you in the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> «So – she cleared her throat – you and Yugi are… dating».  
> Seto took a breath so sharply and abruptly his septum complained, giving him a stinging pain: «We… ehm... well, yes… more or less. I think»,   
> [...]  
> «It’s a rather bizarre situation, to say the least».  
> [...]  
> How could someone define a couple actually composed not by only two living people, but also by two spirits whose owners died thousands of years before?  
> [...]  
> For a long time, Yugi had thought Seto was in love with Atem, not him. And Seto, in the same way, had thought Atem was in love with Seth, and had remained incredibly confused and shocked upon realizing he was feeling the same love for Yugi himself.   
> Probably, if Seto’s crazy and reckless journey between Dimensions, a journey with the potential risk of him being trapped in the afterlife or in his own machinery, hadn’t happened, neither he nor Yugi would have ever been able to solve that intricate dilemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And once again, posted on time! Don't get used to this, the next one may be updated with a delay. I'm too busy studying for three exams to write, at the moment. It's a miracle this chapter's even finished. If a delay happens, I'm sorry, but I'm planning to upload one or two short fanfics for Christmas, so I'll make it up to you all. 
> 
> In this chapter I decided to include some more "technical" Duel Monsters facts. This because I wanted to have some fun writing them, being a tcg player myself, and because it's actually fitting to have Duel Monsters trivia and tips in a story all based on that world. Now, don't take anything I wrote as gold, because I don't have that much knowledge about the game itself (I started properly playing Yu-Gi-Oh only last year, after all), but I had fun with that.   
> Also, if you get confused by come facts I wrote about Yugi's Deck (the one you'll kinda see in this chapter), I used both facts from the anime and my own headcanons, so that stuff is absolutely not related in any way to the tcg itself.

December arrived faster than Seto expected it, and with it the official launch of the new Kaiba Corporation videogame came closer and closer.  
The demo version of the “Legendary Dragon”, already out for the public for weeks, would soon be replaced by the complete and finished game, to the delight of children, teenagers and adults alike.  
Because of that, in the company headquarter work had never been so hectic, aside from the crazy days before the opening of Duel Monsters Tournament.

 

With a stifled groan, Seto silenced the annoying alarm clock of his phone, as always set at 6 am, and sat up in the soft darkness of the room.   
Seto yawned, stretching his arms before removing heavy blankets and sheets, and threw his legs on the floor, trying to find his slippers without looking down.  
After finding and putting them on his feet, the CEO stood up and grabbed the phone, disconnecting it from its charger; in doing so, however, his hand lightly brushed against the Millennium Rod, abandoned on the bedside table like it was a common ornament more than a possibly murderous weapon.   
Set suddenly withdrew his hand, as if the Millennium Rod had just struck it with electricity, and swallowed dry before grasping the Item; looking back at his, instead of his own distorted reflection, on the shiny golden surface he saw the face of the man whose soul he condemned to eternal agony, petrified in a scream, as if to mock him for having sentenced him to a non-life of pain and fear.

 

Shuddering, Seto put down the Millennium Rod and exchanged it with his cell phone, immediately starting to scroll through the apps in search of new messages, emails or missed calls. The Item, though, kept attracting his gaze like a magnet, impossible to repel or ignore, as if Seto himself was a corresponding magnetic pole to it.   
The horrified screams of that man kept ringing in his years even weeks after, and although Seto was firmly convinced he had done the right thing, as cruel as it had been, the memory made his blood run cold in hid veins, and infested dreams and nightmares in the same way.   
The disquieting and looming obscurity of the Shadow Realm returned to visit him night and day without distinction, with impeccable punctuality, every time he closed his eyes. It stretched in his way long fingers made of shadow, incorporeal but, at the same time, so real as to be perceptible.   
Seto was always taken by it, always grasped by that touch, unable to fend it off, and each time the slim fingers dragged him down a little bit more, deeper and deeper into the bottomless pit he had duh with his own hands.

 

Seto wondered if Atem had felt the same fear, the same felling of incapacity and the same persuasion his instinct whispered in his ear, murmuring and praising him to surrender, submit to the darkness and be swallowed up by it.  
The Pharaoh had suffered centuries of that same darkness, he sought it as a crazed spirit, used it for his Penalty Games. He had used that sinister power to win, over and over, to protect himself and his friends, to protect Yugi from all the dangers his vessel had to undergo.   
The Pharaoh, after millennia, had won his war against the darkness, but he also lost battles on the road leading to victory.  
He had lost Yugi more than once, first flung away from Pegasus’ Shadow Game, then endangered by Yami Marik, and eventually taken away by the Orichalcos.   
However, despite those defeats, despite all the doubts, Atem had recovered.   
He had truly came back on his feet, despite the awareness of all the evil and pain he had inflicted on dozens of people, fighting the shadows threatening to take away his soul and heart.

 

Seto wasn’t able to fight.  
Fragment after fragment, he felt his soul getting closer and closer to the shadows’ temptation, bewitched by its terrifying but inviting voice.  
The CEO still remembered, clear and crystalline in his mind, the Mind Crush inflicted on him by Atem, which forced him to put his very being into reassembling the pieces of his shattered heart, even the smallest splinter of it, only using his determination to live and the kindest part of his soul as the glue.  
He well recalled the seduction of the shadows, lulling whispers that tried to grab him and drag him into their recesses with tantalizing proposals and dangerous games.  
Their greed was so great, Seto often gave in to the flattery, he listened to the faint words coming from the darkness. He tried to follow them, to direct his feet towards their direction. But he always came back to himself and resumed working on his broken heart.  
Back then, Mokuba was his grip on reality, and Seto had taken hold of that anchor for dear life, resisting the craving of the shadows, refusing to become a subject of them, prisoner of a dark, endless realm of distress.

 

But the shadows’ arms were too long, too stubborn, too resilient to simply break before a lone person’s determination.  
A delirious and confused spirit had put him in those arms, had asked the Shadow Realm to rock him until he was able to escape the relentless grip, and Seto almost failed in fleeing.   
He had succeeded, in the end, but not unscathed.   
The CEO was left terrified by the shadows, he feared them as he had never feared anything amongst all the difficulties of his life. And he’d never thought confidently about a second success against their constraint.

 

He had locked himself with his own hands in that interminable damnation, falling with only a damaged safety rope attached to his soul. And he couldn’t find anything to grasp to pull himself up, to stop the falling before hitting the bottom.   
Anything, but Yugi and Atem.

 

The Millennium Rod menacingly reflected the lamp’s light when Seto turned it on, suddenly scared of the dark enveloping his bedroom; the Eye of Wdjat sculpted on the gold object’s surface looked at him, scrutinizing his soul, as if it wanted to take it and tear it away from his body like the rabid spirit of a monster.

 

The sound of a new notification distracted him from that string of thoughts, and Seto turned his gaze away from the Millennium Rod to transfer it on his phone screen, which flashed a message from Yugi.   
The CEO frowned, checking the clock to make sure he had not set the wrong alarm, but the digital numbers confirmed it was 6 am.   
He wasn’t expecting a text from Yugi at that early hour, not on a Saturday morning. It was the only day (not counting Sunday) the King of Games was not required to show up at KaibaCorp.   
What was Yugi doing up so early?  
He had even stopped working at his shop, hiring Ashely full-time so his grandfather could avoid most of the work.

 

 

 

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Hey, Seto? Are you awake?_

 

Seto Kaiba: _It’s 6 am. What’s happening?_

 

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _It’s all right, no need to worry. My grandpa accidentally woke me up_

 

 

 

Reassured, Seto breathed a sigh of relief. The list time Yugi had called him so early, before sunrise even, the CEO had to rush to his house without thinking twice.

 

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Sudden and totally unexpected, the phone’s ringtone pierced the absolute silence of the room, shrieking in Seto’s ears and causing a discomfort worse than the one created by the insistent cry of a child, an annoyance impossible to ignore.   
Grumbling, Seto reached out a hand to turn on the lamp and grabbed the phone, throwing a glance at the clock hanging on the wall: 4 am.   
Seto was ready to ignore the phone call or, as the instance told him, interrupt it, but then he read the name lighting up on the screen.

 

A panic wave swept over him, and the CEO swiped the green icon right to accept the call, immediately bringing the phone to his ear: «Yugi? Yugi, what’s happening?».  
On the other end of the phone, instead of words in answer to Seto’s question, came the muffled sound of Yugi in tears, suffocated sobs that barely reached the speaker.   
«Yugi? Answer me, Yugi! Please!».  
No reply.  
The call then ended abruptly, without giving Seto enough time to realize what was happening, and the CEO remained stunned only a few moment before jumping off the bed and wearing the first clothes within range.   
He put on his coat on his pajama shirt, not bothering to change, and without wasting time to find and slip into his shoed, he flung out of the room and down the stairs, catching the car keys hanging outside the door leading to the garage.

 

In less than five minutes, Seto had started the engine and got on the road, accelerating like crazy on Domino’s deserted streets and passing every red he encountered.   
He cared little for the fines he would surely receive; money could handle a couple of legal issues, but not Yugi’s life.   
Dashing along the city, Seto reached the Kame Game Shop in half the time the trip would normally take, and slammed the brakes so suddenly the car emitted a deafening screech of tires gliding on the asphalt, risking a spin.

The lights on the upper floor of the house were lit, and behind the windows of what Seto recognized as being the living room, the CEO was able to discern the outline of Solomon Muto, busy walking up and down.  
Swearing against himself for the time he had taken to arrive, Seto left the car in his improvised parking lot and ran to the front door, not surprisingly noticing it wasn’t locked.   
Once inside, Seto ran up the stairs and down the corridor, without being stopped by Solomon, nor called in any way by the old man.

 

Seto didn’t pay much attention to that, darting in the hallway, and stopped only as soon as he was out of Yugi’s room.  
From inside, the CEO indistinctly heard Yugi’s voice, speaking with Atem between sobs.

 

Hesitant, Seto put his hand on the handle and lowered it, finding himself in a completely dark room, except for the golden glow coming from the Millennium Puzzle.   
The Item wasn’t around Yugi’s neck, but resting on the shelf above his bed’s headboard, and was the only source of light.   
Not even the moonlight filtered through, because the blinds were tightly closed. Even the skylight was obscured.

 

The CEO wasn’t able to see or feel Atem’s spirit, but he knew he was somewhere in the room, trying to offer a little comfort to Yugi.   
Yugi, meanwhile, was curled up on his bed, clutched in his own arms and shaken by violent sobs. All the blankets were stacked on the ground in a messy pile, as if Yugi had shaken them violently off of him, and the King of Games himself was in a horrible state.   
From what Seto could make out in the Puzzle’s glow, Yugi’s eyes were bloodshot because of implacable tears running down his unusually pale face, and beneath them were painted deep, dark circles.

 

«Yugi…»

 

Yugi raised his eyes upon hearing Seto’s voice, and as soon as purple and crimson irises met blue ones, the CEO approached the bed with caution, taking care not to step on the cluttered floor.  
Slowly, he sat down on the mattress and stretched an arm in Yugi’s direction, trying to convince him to come near.

 

 

 

Yugi vacillated, still upset, but he then took Seto’s hand and was dragged into his embrace, violently shaken by a convulsive cry, but lulled by the warmth coming from the CEO’s gentle hug.  
Gradually, aided by comfort words murmured by Seto from time to time, waiting patiently, Yugi began to calm down, shaking off the awful nightmare that had him wake up, screaming at the top of his lungs, his body covered in cold sweat and pierced by excruciating pains.   
Yugi knew it wasn’t real, nothing he had perceived was anything concrete, but the sensation had terrified his so much it triggered a sever panic attack.  
When his grandfather ran into the room to check what was happening, Yugi had not even recognized the elder, and Solomon had to leave the room without being able to help his nephew, scared by his reaction.

 

Atem had helped him regain some self-control, materializing at his side and talking calmly until Yugi’s fear subsided.   
But every time Yugi closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his aggressors, and felt again their tortures and their abuse. He felt their rough and dirty hands on him, caressing and wounding every part of his body, until all that was left was a twitching, broken man.   
Yugi had burst into tears, feeling helpless in front of his mind’s tricks, frustrated by the inability to wipe away memories and pain, not even once he was awake and far from the nightmare.   
At that point, he had found no other solution than calling Seto, dialing his number with trembling hands, but when the CEO picked up and his voice rang out from the other end he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

 

In the darkness surrounding him, lit just by a small lamp, his eyes continued to catch the fluctuating and deformed shapes of the men who had raped and beaten him. He could hear their mocking laughter, booming in the echo of his mind.  
Oppressed by the blanket’s weight on him, feeling trapped under them as if they were those heartless criminals pinning him down, Yugi had thrown them aside, knocking down and shattering his lamp in the process.

He had yelled again, suddenly engulfed in pure darkness, and had closed his eyes, covering his head with both arms as a weak defense.   
However, he had opened them immediately after, Ryuichi’s mad eyes etched into his retinas, the dull pain of the blows he had inflicted him so intense as to seem real.  
Just then, Atem had lit up the Puzzle, spreading a faded gold light to counter the darkness, and Seto arrived.

 

Enveloped by Seto’s embrace, Yugi stopped his tears and stopped shivering. The images imprinted in his memory faded to disappear, replaced by a sense of security that warmed him more than the flames of a lit fireplace.   
Little by little, Yugi relaxed his tense and contracted muscles, dominated by an insane anguish that screamed at him to run away, run and hide as fast as he could, and the man felt weariness weaken his limbs and his determination to stay awake.   
When the clock struck 6 am, Yugi fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, lulled by Seto’s heartbeat and steady breathing rhythm.

 

 

 

Free from his worries, Seto untied the embrace only for a small amount of time, the necessary to remove his coat and recover all the blankets on the floor.   
He stretched them on the mattress to cover both of them, and hugged Yugi again close to his chest, before closing his eyes and fall asleep a short time later.

 

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

A similar incident hadn’t occurred since that time, and Seto knew Yugi had finally stopped suffering from such nightmares so frequently not long after.  
Under Bakura’s advice, Yugi had dealt with the matter with his grandfather first, backed up by the CEO’s presence, and the talk had been everything but easy.   
But, thanks to Solomon’s awareness of the situation, Yugi had managed to deal with his crisis much more easily, even though he was still unable to control them enough.

 

Later, he had talked to Joey about it, though not completely exhaustively. Because Seto couldn’t be with him, under Yugi’s decision, Atem was the one beside the King of Games, a needed helping hand.   
In doing so, Yugi had gained two more shoulders to lean on, and surprisingly, earned a more secure grip on reality.

 

Averting from those thoughts, Seto brought his attention back to the messaging app, still open on the conversation between Yugi and himself.

 

 

 

Seto Kaiba: _Accidentally? How do you wake someone up accidentally?_

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _He dropped a couple of pots, and made a terrible noise. I heard it all the way down from the kitchen._

Seto Kaiba: _Ah. That’s… unfortunate._

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Yeah, it is. But, enough of that. When will you finish at work?_

Seto Kaiba: _Why are you asking?_

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Because you have the annoying habit of staying in your damn office more than necessary.  
And because I want you to come over.  
And… because my mother is finally back from New York and I think it’s about time we tell her about our relationship.   
And above all, it’s Saturday and you should really stop being a freaking workaholic._

Seto Kaiba: _You know, the Legendary Dragon is one step from being fully released. I can’t just stop working._

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Hell if I know. I’m working on it! But you’re literally the only person in that skyscraper on Saturdays that deals with the game, and fiddling on it by yourself doesn’t bring many improvements._

Seto Kaiba: _Fine, I get it. You are trying to convince me to get home earlier._

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _I’m actually trying to convince you to stay home._

Seto Kaiba: _Not a chance._

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _I figured as much._

 

 

Seto Kaiba _: So?_

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Come here at 5 pm. If you arrive late, I’ll change every single Blue-Eyes you have in your house with my Dark Magician. Deal?_

Seto Kaiba: _You won’t dare._

Yugi “Pharaoh” Muto: _Test me._

Seto Kaiba: _Fine. Deal._

Then, Seto read better the longest text sent to him by Yugi, and paled.

 

 

 

Seto Kaiba: _Wait, I have to meet your mother?!_

«Yugi? Breakfast’s ready!».

 

 

 

Mrs. Muto’s voice, barely muffled by the closed door, reached Yugi’s ears as soon as he read Seto’s last reply, and the King of Games put away his phone before getting out of bed, without answering.   
A quick glance at the clock told him it was still 6:30 am, and with a sigh Yugi put his head in the closet, in order to retrieve a hoodie to wear on his pajama pants and be at least a little bit presentable.

 

 

_“You still have it? Were you actually planning on returning it or what?”_

 

 

Puffing a laugh at Atem’s question, Yugi put on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s hoodie he unintentionally stole from Seto and winked at the spirit: «I did say I was going to replace all his stuff, didn’t I?».  
Once he zipped up the hoodie, Yugi grabbed the phone and headed for the kitchen, where the delicious smell of freshly made pancakes, toast and coffee came from.  
«Good morning», he said, suppressing a yawn, and took a place next to his grandfather. He was busy reading an article about a new Ancient Egypt exhibition, so he acknowledged his grandson’s presence a short time after.

 

 

 

«Huh? Oh, hey! Good morning, Yugi! Sorry for waking you up. I didn’t mean to», Solomon apologized with an guilty smile, turning off the tablet screen before putting it away. «You should read that, it’s a great exhibition. But thinking about it, it will open in January. You’ll be on tour by then».

 

 

 

«Yeah, that’s a shame», he replied. «Oh, it’s okay. I don’t mind you woke me up, don’t worry about it».  
Yugi shook his head with a half-laugh, and looked at his mother, standing near the stove and busy transforming the remaining pancake mixture in actual pancakes.   
«How’s New York for you? Have you been well?».  
Thanks to her latest accomplishments, Yugi’s mother had succeeded in obtaining more than one position of considerable importance in the American city, and she had finally been hired as a professor for “Master of Arts in Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Studies, a fascinating course at New York University, so she rarely came back to Domino.   
Yugi missed her, even though during high school, the time in which she was most present in the house, he was too busy following a wild destiny.

 

Because of her constant absence, Yugi wanted to take the opportunity and raise the matter of his relationship with Seto, hence his texts to him. However, even if he wanted to try and throw some clues here and there before the CEO’s arrival, he felt too embarrassed and scared to do it.  
It was his mother, after all, and he didn’t know how she would react to such a news.   
His grandpa had told him several times not to worry about it, but Yugi was still unable to remove from his mind the insistent thought of having bogged down in a ditch of quicksand without an escape route.

 

 

 

Mrs. Muto placed the last pancakes in a plate and brought them to the table with a smile, putting the huge pile of sweet food at the centre of it.   
«I’ve been really well. The traffic is a real nightmare, though», she replied. «Here in Domino they know how to regulate it a little better».  
She took a couple of steaming pancakes on her plate and shrugged: «Anyways, I like it. And I found a really great place to stay, so I don’t have a lot of complaints to do».

 

 

 

Yugi imitated his mother with the pancakes, and added a good amount of maple syrup on them, as he always liked to do since the first time he had eaten that kind of breakfast, back in one of his American tours: «Do they treat you well at university? How are the students?».

 

 

 

She swallowed a forkful of pancakes before answering: «Oh, as soon as they heard I was you mother, most of the students bombarded me with questions about you», she laughed.   
«You should have seen them, they were so excited about having me as their professor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people follow a class in a religious silence like that», she added between bites. «Even though someone doesn’t want to believe I’m the mother of the worldwide famous King of Games».

 

 

 

«Damn», Yugi chuckled. «Who knows, maybe one day I’ll show my face at the end of the class. We’ll see if those non-believers change their minds».  
The conversation continued in a cheery mood throughout the breakfast, and several times Solomon broke in to learn more about the course’s schedule. Yugi preferred to listen and nod, until his plate was squeaky clean.   
It was interesting, even though Yugi didn’t need a lot of lessons to learn about Ancient Egypt. He even took some online courses to fill in the gaps of his knowledge about it, since Atem died long before the end of those time.

 

 

 

«Oh, by the way, the university is planning to organize a visit to the recently rediscovered palace. They’re trying to get a bunch of permits from the Ishtar family, even if it’s quite the struggle», Mrs. Muto said to end her report, getting up to tidy up the kitchen and wash the dishes.

 

 

 

«W-what?!».  
Astounded, Yugi lost his grip on the mug full of coffee in his hand, spilling all of it and risking to burn his hand with the hot liquid.  
«Ah, hell no!», he exclaimed, withdrawing his hand just in time. He called out to his grandpa, who retrieved a few napkins so Yugi could clean up the damage.

 

 

 

Yugi’s mother turned in his direction, distracting herself from the dishes, and frowned at her son’s attitude: «It’s a great discovery, you should know. It would be a waste not to visit the palace before they open it to the general public. And anyway, aren’t you a friend of one member of the Ishtar family? Malik, right? He didn’t tell you anything?».

 

 

 

Yugi thanked his grandpa when the old man handed him a handful of napkins, and hurried to dry the pilled coffee before it could make its way to the floor.  
«It’s Marik, actually», he corrected her. «But no, he didn’t tell me. I knew about the palace, though».   
However, he was fast to regret his reaction. His mother didn’t know anything about all the events that occurred following the complexion of the Millennium Puzzle, from the very existence of the Pharaoh’s spirit to the fact Yugi was actually his modern day counterpart. She now nothing about Ancient Egyptian magic, or monsters, or everything connected to the Shadow Realms and so on.  
She certainly couldn’t have known Yugi had a much deeper connection to that palace more than academic interest, being the holder of Atem’s memories as well as having explored the building itself in the Memory World.

 

«Marik doesn’t work in direct collaboration with that archeological site. It’s his sister that’s dealing with the palace, not him», he added, casually clearing his voice to regain a bit of composure. «You’re right, still. It’s an amazing opportunity».

 

 

 

«Oh, I didn’t know about it. I thought all the family was working on that».

 

 

 

«Yeah, no. Marik prefers dealing with other things, preferably here in Domino. I don’t think he likes Egypt that much».

 

 

 

«That’s a shame. He’s always far from his family».  
Mrs. Muto turned back to the dishes, reopening the water to rinse them: «Oh, well. Why don’t you join us? Ancient Egypt thrills you, and I’m sure no one would complain about your presence. You’re know for being an expert on the matter, other than being a Duel Monsters champion».

 

 

 

«No, I…».  
Not quite sure on how to continue the sentence, Yugi sighed.  
He had discussed the issue with Seto a week before, when Ishizu called both men to let them know the palace had been completely unearthed and cleared of debris, but neither had managed to make a decision about it.   
It was a difficult journey to deal with, and they eventually decided to visit it together, even if they still didn’t know exactly when.   
Yugi was the most insecure about returning there, and Atem was not entirely convinced of wanting to see that place without the familiar presence of his friends and family to welcome him open armed, as it had happened when he had crossed the threshold between life and afterlife.   
As for Seto, his double experience in that palace, first in the Memory World and then in the proper afterlife, had left a mark deep enough to add to the unpleasant circumstances in which Seth had left it.   
«I’ll go there with Seto», he replied, after a long pause. «But not now».

 

 

 

«With… Kaiba?».  
Perplexed, Mrs. Muto delayed the drying of the dishes in favor of turning in the direction of her son, who was filling another cup of coffee to replace the spilled one: «Why with Kaiba? Why not with your friends?».

 

 

 

«Seto _is_ my friend».

 

 

 

«You know what I mean».

 

 

 

Yugi took another sigh, longer than the first, and shook his head: «Yes, I know what you mean. The thing is… listen, Seto’s coming here today. Just... try to be patient until he arrives, and then I’ll explain everything I can, okay?».  
In response to the suspicious look he received at those words, Yugi turned his back to his mother and headed out: «I know you’re worried. It’s a matter of fact Seto has his fair share of bad decisions. But trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about. Seto’s changed since the last time you saw him. It’s been years, by now».

 

 

 

«He sent my father-in-law to the hospital and nearly blew up you and your friends, just for being sour after his defeat at Battle City», she replied, harshly. «He doesn’t give me the image of a person who would change just because someone asked him to do so».  
«Why do you care so much about him?», she then added, at a loss.

 

 

 

«You’re right, he doesn’t change because someone tells him to change. Seto doesn’t even want near him people who cannot accept him the way he is. But he’s come a long way from the person he was ten years ago. He’s not a bad man, he’s just… misunderstood. This is a very important thing for me, mom, and I would like you to try and listen. I need you to understand him, just a little bit. Just enough to realize he’s a good person, even if he doesn’t like to show that side of him».  
That said, Yugi didn’t wait for a reply to follow that statement.  
Instead, seeing the clock still showed 7:30 am, he locked himself in his home office and decided to carry on some work on a new videogame he was developing.

 

 

 

 

 

Chatting occasionally with Atem, Yugi stayed in front of the computer screen for almost three consecutive hours, captivated by his various projects and concepts, busy tapping on the keyboard one or more notes about fixes and improvements for programs and codes.   
It was nothing closely related to KaibaCorp, even though most of his games were released by the company itself, and Yugi could calmly carry out those ideas, without any need to hurry to finish them.   
It was oddly relaxing because he was, indeed,  sitting behind a computer screen for hours of work, but the satisfaction on creating whole words full of great stories and beings countered the effort.   
Yugi often sketched drafts and ideas for characters and creatures by hand, before sending them (along with description and whatnot) to more experienced concept artists and designers, and the man never failed to be fascinated by their precision and attention to details.

 

After noting down a last line of text on the description box of the sketch that was going to become a main protagonist in his videogame, Yugi turned off the computer and left the office, stretching his arms and back to regain a little more mobility after sitting in the same position for hours.   
Not knowing what to do, being still 10:30 am, Yugi decided to head down the stairs and in the shop, to give a helping hand in favor of Ashley and his grandfather. They were surely busy keeping at bay a more frenetic crowd than usual, given the last few days.  
It was only two weeks before Christmas, after all, and many began to buy the first gifts. Other came at the Game Shop to reserve this console or that videogame, to make sure it was possible to buy them during Christmas holidays.

 

His grandfather told him about the swarming people, because Yugi had not worked in the shop since Solomon had insisted he avoided it, but from time to time he didn’t mind resuming that old routine, even if just for an hour or two. That, if he wasn’t too tired because of the heavy load of work coming from KaibaCorp. and upcoming preparation for tours and competitions.

 

About ten minutes later, wearing a pair of jeans and still retaining the Blue-Eyes hoodie, Yugi got into the shop from the side door and noticed his mother was behind the counter, busy talking in bits and pieces with Ashley, when she wasn’t giving her attention to the shop’s customer.  
The Kame Game Shop wasn’t too crowded, it was early in any case, but more often than not customers approached Ashley or Solomon to ask for advice, or to get some info, so they were both endlessly busy.

 

 

 

«Yugi! You came to help? It’s not necessary, you know», Ashley greeted him, waving a hand as he watched him passing the doorway.

 

 

 

In response, Yugi shrugged: «I have nothing better to do until 5 pm, and my friends are all busy today. I might as well be useful», he said, reaching her behind the counter.   
«I’ll take care of this. Go help grandpa, before those kids overwhelm him», he added shortly after, nodding in the old archaeologist direction, surrounded by over-exultant teens.   
A quick glance at the computer screen informed him of the update on the Duel Links server, in preparation for the KC Cup, and Yugi stifled a frustrated complaint. That event was so broken and full of cheaters and hackers it had become almost impossible to choose an honest winner.   
Seto had to develop a new type of 24/7 online surveillance for the KC Cup PvP Duels, and if that solution wouldn’t work, Yugi had suggested early on the complete elimination of the event, to turn it into a proper Duel Monsters tournament.

Puffing at the impossibility to find a good player in the last KC Cup, Yugi minimized the update window and opened the shop’s card inventory, the best in Domino both for quantity and for the incredible number of rare and unique cards. Some on them were in the shop just for display, including a good number of the King of Games’ ones as well.  
For instance, after the ban of his “Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning”, judged a card too powerful to be used (even if, for a long time, it remained immune to a ban strike due to the fact only one copy existed), Yugi had decided to put it on display to increase the shop’s popularity, and he had never put it back in his collection.

 

Who knew, maybe that card would be able to attract some hopeful Duelists, maybe on their way to become the new King of Games, just as it has attracted Jaden. Yugi wasn’t there to see him, but the story his grandfather told him had been quite animated and detailed.   
That boy was sure full of surprises.

 

Shaking off those thoughts, Yugi brought his attention to the customers wandering around the shop, adult and kids alike, all busy looking at cards, packs, videogames and consoles with bright eyes, and he smiled at a teenager who approached the counter with a Deck in his hands.  
«Can I help you with something?».

 

 

 

He nodded, though barely looking into his eyes: «I’d like to finish my Deck, but I don’t know how. You… you are the King of Games, right? Can you advise me?».

 

 

 

Yugi laughed gently; it wasn’t unusual for someone to try and catch him in the shop for advice or an autograph, given his fame.   
That, alongside many others, was one of the main reasons why Yugi had accepted to work at KaibaCorp. as soon as Seto asked him, to avoid attracting too many people eager to meet him or talk to him. Yugi didn’t mind the attention too much, but only as long as the fans remained in their place.  
He was still shocked at the chaos that ensued and followed him after his victory in Battle City. He’d been constantly pursued by hordes of Duelists who only wanted to challenge him and get their hands on the God Cards. They had come as far as waiting for him outside school, ready to seize his rare cards or prove themselves to be better.   
«Of course I can. What kind of Deck you’re using?», he asked the boy, holding out his hand.

 

 

 

«It’s a Ritual Deck. Nothing special».

 

 

 

«Mh».  
Scrolling through the cards, Yugi noticed the Ritual Monster chosen by the boy as hi Deck ace was “Cù Chulainn the Awakened”, a good monster if used in the right way and alongside good support, with easy summoning conditions.   
«Cù Chulainn, uh? It’s not bad», Yugi observed. «But you will need better cards to get a good starting hand, and to get both the Ritual Monster and the Ritual Spell. Give me a second».

 

After rummaging for a while in the drawers behind the counter, Yugi pulled out a huge card binder and opened it on the countertop, flipping through the pages until he reached the section he was interested in.   
Rechecking the Deck a second time, Yugi pulled out some cards from the binder pockets and stacked them nearby, mentally noting their total price.   
When satisfied, Yugi put the binder away and showed the boy the support card he had chosen, only a few but definitely useful.

 

 

 

«Sonic Bird? I’ve never heard about it», he said, tilting his head in puzzlement upon seeing the card.

 

 

 

«This card allows you to add to your hand a Ritual Monster or a Ritual Spell Card when it’s Normal Summoned. It’s not a beatstick, but it’s useful to prepare your ace», Yugi explained, showing his three copies.   
A Deck focused on “Cù Chulainn the Awakened” ran better with Normal Monsters, because of its effect, but only one “Sonic Bird” wasn’t going to change a lot.   
He then showed the teen three different Spell Cards: «This one, “Advanced Ritual Art”, allows you to Ritual Summon a monster by sending Normal Monsters from your Deck to the graveyard, so you can easily Summon “Cù Chulainn” and activate its effect. “Gift of the Martyr” grants your ace an additional ATK increase on top of its effect. Also, “Pre-Preparation of Rites” lets you add one Ritual Spell Card and one Ritual Monster from your Deck or graveyard to your hand», he said, waiting for the boy to nod in understanding before taking the last card he wanted to show him.  
«This card, “Solomon’s Lawbook”, has the effect of skipping your Standby Phase in the turn following its activation. This means, if “Cù Chulainn” is on the field and you have activated its effect, the ATK increase won’t reset until the next Standby Phase. All clear?».

 

 

 

The boy nodded, his eyes sparkling: «Do you think I’ll win with this Deck?».

 

 

 

Yugi showed his agreement with a thumb up: «With the right strategy, and a good combination of the new cards, you’ll likely win a lot of Duels», he replied, smiling. «Do you want to take them all?».  
After receiving an affirmative answer, Yugi arranged all the cards in a small bag and handed them to the boy.  
He put the payment money in the cash register and retuned his attention to the computer: the notification stating the completed Duel Links update was flashing on the screen, so Yugi finished the procedure and sat I the chair behind the counter, waiting for other customers to show up.

 

 

 

 

 

Around midday, after a huge wave of phone calls and customers arrived to the shop to get the best videogames on the market, the place finally emptied and Yugi returned upstairs to help his mother with lunch, leaving Ashley and his grandpa to deal with the last hour before closing for the day.

 

 

 

«Yugi, could you pass me that pan?».

 

 

 

Following the direction indicated by his mother, Yugi retrieved a pan from the cupboard and handed it to her. He looked at the ground meat already sizzling in another pan, ready to become gyōza filling, and his mouth watered.   
Then, under his mother’s guidance, Yugi took a knife and began slicing vegetables on the cutting board, appropriate addition to the meat, and for a long time the only noises in the kitchen were the ones coming from the stove and the knife against the board.   
Yugi had already chopped all the vegetables he needed and put them in a large bowl when his mother finally broke the uncomfortable silence, loosening a tension the King of Games had failed to notice.

 

 

 

«I’m sorry I reacted that way, earlier. I know you won’t hang out with Kaiba if he wasn’t a good person, to some degree».  
Removing the pan where the meat was cooking from the stove, she combined it with the sliced vegetables and mixed all the ingredients, adding finely chopped garlic and ginger to the mixture.   
The she gestured towards Yugi so he could retrieve the thin gyōza wrappers.   
Mrs. Muto spoke again as she started preparing the dumplings, folding and closing the dough carefully before placing them in the large pan: «I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that, if Kaiba wasn’t a good person, his company would certainly not be focused on giving children and adults all means of fun and games. In fact, if he wasn’t a good person, KaibaCorp. would surely still be a manufacturer of weapons and war machines».

 

 

 

Yugi, who was setting the table, stopped with a pile of plates held in mid-air: «Why are you talking about this now?»

 

 

 

«I might have come to another conclusion».   
She sighed, turning on the stove to place the pan on a low flame, closing it with its lid: «What’s going on between you and Seto?».

 

 

 

Yugi almost lost his grip on the plates: «Wh-what do you mean?».  
The man sat down after successfully put the plates on the table without dropping them, too taken aback to actually recover chopsticks and glasses.   
He did not expect that to happen. At all.

 

 

 

«You’re spending a lot more time than usual with him. Just because I’m not physically here, that doesn’t mean I know absolutely nothing about my son’s life, even if I continue to feel like you’re hiding something important from me. Plus, Ashley told me you spend a lot of time with Seto outside work hours».  
She frowned, fiddling with the stove switches to adjust the flame: «You’re dating, aren’t you?».

 

 

 

Caught red-handed, Yugi blushed to the tips of his hair and looked away, turning his back away from the woman and refusing to face her when he felt piercing eyes burning at the back of his head.  
And there goes his intention to avoid that issue before Seto’s arrival.   
Embarrassed as he’d never been before, Yugi rubbed his feet on the grounds and stared at the tips of the slippers he was wearing: «Come on, don’t be absurd».

 

 

 

«Oh. My. God. It’s true, you’re dating!», she exclaimed, dropping the chopsticks she had just used to flip the gyōza dumplings.   
«Why you never… it’s not like Kaiba forced you to keep quiet on the subject, is it?».

 

 

 

Yugi, feeling his cheeks burning, vigorously shook his head, and flinched back when his mother suddenly appeared in front of him: «No, we…. He… well… Mom, stop staring at me like that!», he shrieked, his voice one octave higher than usual.   
Atem, from the Puzzle, laughed so loudly the sound echoed in Yugi’s ears, rather than in his mind.   
“Oh, you shut up, or I swear I’ll put _you_ in my place», he warned him.

 

 

 

«Why you didn’t tell me, Yugi?».

 

 

 

Deeply breathing to slow the frantic beating of his heart, Yugi waited to calm down before answering, with poor results.   
There was a reason if the King of Games wanted to deal with the issue together with Seto, to ensure more support in case it was needed, and he didn’t know how to explain properly the problem.  
«I was worried. I didn’t know if you would… well, I had no idea what your reaction would be», he admitted, after a long silence. «I didn’t know if you would have accepted it. I was scared».

 

 

 

«Oh, Yugi».  
With a gentle smile curving her lips, Mrs. Muto circumnavigated the table to sit down next to Yugi, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a firm hug: «I’m glad you found someone to share your love with. Man or woman, it doesn’t matter. No one had the right to decide who a person can or can’t love. Are you happy with him?».

 

 

 

Yugi nodded, raising his bowed head, and gave a faint smile: «More than you can imagine», he replied. «More than I could have ever imagined».

 

 

 

«Then – the woman replied, getting up to resume her cooking activities – that’s all I need to know».  
Shortly after, she chuckled mischievously: «And by the way, I always had the sneaking suspicion you liked men rather than women. You’ve never been good at hiding your secret stash of… what did you call them? Totally innocent videos and comics Joey lent you? You used to lock yourself in your room for a little bit too much, you know?».

 

 

 

  «Sweet Mother of Osiris, are you kidding me?!».

 

Point five seconds later, Atem found himself flung in Yugi’s body, expelled by his Soul Room, and none of his pleas convinced his host to switch back.   
Not before his grandpa finally arrived, and the gyōza dumplings were ready to be eaten.

 

 

 

 

 

Busy reorganizing his Deck, Yugi lost track of time and when the doorbell rang, at 5 pm, it was his mother who got up from the chair in order to open the door.  
However, Yugi managed to stop her in time: «I’ll take care of it», he hurried to say, dashing out the living room.

 

Downstairs, Solomon had already opened the door for Seto, who was standing in the doorway while talking to the elder.   
The CEO had begun to get along with the gruff archaeologist, obviously after having profusely apologized for causing him a heart attack with his Death Simulation Chamber.   
Shaking his head as he recalled how bad those apologizes were delivered, Yugi approached and told Seto to replace his shoes with a par of slippers before getting in the house.   
«My mother’s upstairs. Be wary of what you say», he warned him right after.   
He knew Seto could be far too straightforward when he was in an uncomfortable situation.

 

 

 

«Why talking to her right now?», Seto asked as soon as Solomon disappeared in the shop. «We have plenty of time».

 

 

 

Yugi sighed, all but surprised by Seto’s reluctance; it was no secret how uncomfortable he felt in showing the most human part of himself to anyone who wasn’t Mokuba or Yugi himself.   
«No, we don’t», he replied. «My mother works in New York, and she managed to come back only now. I wanted to take advantage of this».  
«Plus, she’s already got the point».

 

 

 

«What…?!».  
Frozen in the middle of taking off his left boot, Seto nearly lost his balance: «How did she…».

 

 

 

«She’s far more clever than I thought. I underestimated her».   
Yugi smiled: «She wasn’t mad, rather the opposite. But… I don’t want her to leave without talking to you», he added, looking up to the barely visible corridor, from down the stairs.   
«After what happened, I think it’s only fair to give her an opportunity to have on opinion of you not influenced by media or other people. In any case, you don’t _have_ to talk to her», he said, looking straight in Seto’s blue eyes. «I’m not forcing you».

 

 

 

Seto shook his head: «No, I… I think you’re right. It would be honest, letting her decide if she likes me or not», he replied, and really meant it.   
It wouldn’t been right, putting Yugi’s mother aside, not after telling Solomon first about their relationship. Even if the circumstances had not been the happiest.   
«She still knows nothing about the Puzzle and Atem».

 

 

 

«I don’t want her to know. This matter had taken too many bystanders into it since it began. But, like this, I’m sure it won’t be long before she’ll combine the pieces».

 

 

 

«What do you mean?».

 

 

 

«She’s going to visit Atem’s palace. That place is full of the Pharaoh’s portraits, even if his name isn’t there. She’ll make two plus two. For now, follow me and try to relax. My mother’s not a monster ready to bite your hand», Yugi said, noticing how much the CEO was tense.   
Shrugging off his questioning look about the palace, Yugi led him up the stairs.

 

 

 

Up in the living room, Mrs. Muto was watching an archaeology channel, which was showing images and reconstructions of building from Ancient Greece. However, she immediately turned the TV off as soon as she heard the two men’s steps approach.  
«You’re Kaiba», she said. «You’re not that different from how you appear on TV».

 

 

 

Seto swallowed, nervous; he had never needed to face that kind of conversation in his life, and nobody had taught him that.   
He had tried to do some researches before coming over, scrolling through a gigantic amount of web pages while waiting for his game test results, but it didn’t help.  
What was he supposed to tell to the mother of his… boyfriend? The CEO didn’t know yet if he was feeling ready to use that particular definition for their relationship or not.  
Gozaburo had taught him, in his own way, any kind of social relationship existing in the business world. Because of him, Seto knew how to persuade huge companies to surrender, he knew what decisions where the best and what were the ones probably going to topple down his empire.   
He had never told him anything about romance, and what came with it. And by his own, Seto had never really thought he would have needed it, one day.  
«Yes, I’m Seto Kaiba. You… you should be Yugi’s mother. He told me I was going to meet you, today. I don’t think I ever had the pleasure», he said, cursing himself for pointing out the obvious and for his formality.   
That woman emanated the aura of a strong human being filled with determination, despite her gentle and delicate appearance.

 

 

 

She nodded: «No need to be stiff and formal. We could be family, by the time we finish talking», she said, smiling reassuringly, gesturing towards the couch so his son and the CEO could sit down.   
As soon as both men sunk in the sofa cushions, Mrs. Muto began studying Seto, trying to steal something from his attitude while he wasn’t looking at her.  
Apparently, it seemed he wanted to keep his usual, almost inhuman and almost machine, appearance, like an android designed to be always seen at its best. Some small gestures, in spite of that, countered that wish and didn’t escape her inquiring look.  
The way he threw very quick glances at Yugi, just a movement of vivid blue irises and obsidian pupils, as if looking for some support. The imperceptible smile that curved his lips, in response to the similar one, but encouraging, of Yugi.   
Little things maybe Seto didn’t even notice he was doing.   
«So – she cleared her throat – you and Yugi are… dating».

 

 

 

Seto took a breath so sharply and abruptly his septum complained, giving him a stinging pain: «We… ehm... well, yes… more or less. I think», he forced himself to answer, immediately averting his eyes from the woman’s.   
He would have preferred to face a business meeting against the Big Five a thousand times and more, rather than face that matter with Yugi’s mother. He would fell less nervous and more ready to break some brains.

 

 

 

«More… or less?».

 

 

 

«We’re still a bit… unsure about how we should define this thing», Yugi intervened, not failing to see the faint redness that was appearing on Seto’s cheeks. That tiny detail made him smile; it was absolutely not like him to be so embarrassed in front of other people.   
«It’s a rather bizarre situation, to say the least», he added, although “bizarre” wasn’t exactly the right term.   
But after all, how could someone define a couple actually composed not by only two living people, but also by two spirits whose owners died thousands of years before?  
One of the main reasons why Yugi and Seto had waited a lot, maybe too much, to confess their feeling was about them.  
For a long time, Yugi had thought Seto was in love with Atem, not him. And Seto, in the same way, had thought Atem was in love with Seth, and had remained incredibly confused and shocked upon realizing he was feeling the same love for Yugi himself.   
Probably, if Seto’s crazy and reckless journey between Dimensions, a journey with the potential risk of him being trapped in the afterlife or in his own machinery, hadn’t happened, neither he nor Yugi would have ever been able to solve that intricate dilemma.   
In the end, Atem had opened Seto’s eyes, and the CEO appeared on Yugi’s doorway in a complete disarray state, holding an almost completed Millennium Puzzle in his hands.   
Seto had told him, step by step, the events that had occurred in Atem’s palace, and all the words of advice he had gained from the Pharaoh. Before midnight, Yugi and Seto had finally managed to extricate themselves from their indecision, and sealed their weird relationship.

 

But all that, Yugi couldn’t say to his mother.   
«It’s not official yet. Nobody knows, except from Seto’s brother, Mokuba. And grandpa, but that was inevitable», he said, resuming the thread of the conversation, to avoid get lost in explanations he had no desire in expose.

 

 

 

«Yeah, I had the impression my father-in-law knew more that he gave to see», Mrs. Muto sighed, crossing her arms.   
Then, however, she smiled: «I’m happy for you, don’t get me wrong. But why avoid talking with your friends? I’m sure they would understand», she added, frowning.

 

 

 

Seto snorted at the mention of the word “friends”, but Yugi didn’t pay much attention to that.  
Instead, he shrugged: «I’m not positive about that. Sure, over time they have learned to accept Seto as the person he is, but… I have a feeling they would react far from positively to our relationship. They still think poorly of Seto. I’d like to talk to them, naturally, but it’s not time. Neither for me, nor for Seto», he replied.   
At those words, he felt Seto’s slender fingers tighten around his own, and smiled sadly: «I don’t want to end I a situation in which I have to chose between Seto and my friends».

 

 

 

Mrs. Muto shifted her focus on the CEO: «And you, Seto? What’s your opinion?».

 

 

 

«Honestly? Same as Yugi’s», he replied. «I know many of his – Yugi squeezed his hand, warningly – our friends see me as a bad example. Their disappoint is not much, and it’s not exactly visible in any shape or form, but it’s there. And I have absolutely no intention on putting Yugi, or them, in a situation where a choice could become mandatory to settle things down.   
Speaking frankly, on my side there’s not much interest on gaining or losing their respect, or a better friendship – he grimaced at that word – but Yugi… Yugi cares a lot about them. The choice to tell is up to him», he clarified, sincerely.   
If Yugi’s mother wanted to fathom him, he would let her.

 

 

 

«And… what about an official announcement? A public one, I mean. With you in the position you gained, Seto, could be complicated».

 

 

 

Seto immediately caught the allusion, and his polite smile transformed into a half-grin: «Of course, it _could_ be complicated. But, speaking very openly, no one would even dare to stand up against my company because I finally decided to come out of the closet, not even the world biggest homophobic bastard, if you let me say it. If we – Seto put a lot of emphasis on that word – decide to go public, we _are_ going to go public. I’m not the kind of person who wants to force Yugi to hide in the shadow of a worldwide known company just because I don’t want to risk my position, just as Yugi doesn’t want me to take a step longer than my leg», he replied, truthfully, finally confronted with the only question he knew he could answer without hesitation.

 

 

 

Mrs. Muto smiled: «Not many people would make a similar choice. I have to apologize to you, Seto. It’s obvious you care about him. And it’s obvious Yugi cares about you, as well. This makes me unbelievably happy», she said.   
Then, assumed a more comfortable position and a more mischievous expression, a dangerous shine in her eyes, she addressed them both: «With that out of the way, I hope you’ll both forgive me. But I feel kind of obliged to take on my role as a mother».

 

 

 

«Oh, gods. Please, don’t», Yugi pleaded, already imagining where she wanted to hit.   
Taking the hint, Seto nearly jumped off the couch, and tensed up like a compressed spring ready to  leap away.   
«You don’t want to give us the Talk. Y-you couldn’t want to do it».

 

 

 

She giggled, amused by her son’s predictable reaction: «What kind of mother would I be, if I didn’t want to? Have some guts, you’re adults».

 

 

 

«That’s the problem!», Yugi screeched, barely keeping down his voice.   
Still, he had to give up on his complaints, defeated by his mother’s severe gaze.

 

 

 

The woman, assuming a more serious look, look at both men with inquisitive eyes: «I really don’t want to stick my nose in your private life. Especially yours, Seto. But, for as much as I can trust you, we’re talking about my son. I want you, both of you, to be careful. You use adequate protection, I hope».

 

 

 

Yugi’s face went from pale to blood red, and the man felt his cheeks so hot he would not be surprised if they started to melt off: «MOM!?».

 

 

 

«Oh, come on. I should be more than blind to think you never had sex. You’re legally allowed, and besides, sex is not a crime».

 

 

 

«It is in some cases».

 

 

 

Yugi glared at Seto, but before he could say anything, he noticed the CEO’s face was almost as reddened as his own, and the man was refusing any kind of visual contact with the woman. He was stubbornly sitting with arms and legs crossed, his pose suggesting the obvious intention of sinking into the sofa and never re-emerge.   
With a forfeit sigh, Yugi returned his attention to his mother and tried to ignore the embarrassment, poorly: «I can’t believe to really want to know this. I certainly don’t risk to… I don’t know, get a girl pregnant or something», he said, shivering at the thought.   
The man could not believe that, back in high school, he had tried to cover up his homosexuality by pretending to have a crush of Tea.

 

 

 

«Of course you’re not going to. I’ve already told you, didn’t I? you’ve never been good at hiding your… well, beyond that, you’re my son. And having sex with a man carries risks of its own. Your security concerns me, even though you’re an adult, and you can make your own decisions. To are careful, aren’t you?».

 

 

 

Yugi cursed himself for being a careless teenager, and blushed more brightly: «Well, we… yes. Yes, of course! Of course we… of course we use…. Ah, come on!», he exclaimed, unable to form a whole sentence, as he kept repeating the same words. «Most of the times», he added, mumbling in a low voice, with the halfhearted intent of not being heard.  
Again, a poorly developed intent.

 

 

 

«Most of the times?».

 

 

 

His mother’s eyes narrowed until they became two slits, and Yugi hurried to form a reply, waving his arms as to ward off what he’d just said: «We’re both clean, we don’t… we’re not going to… there’s no risk, okay?!».   
Once more, his voice raised of an octave, becoming so high pitched Yugi hurt his throat.

 

 

 

Seto, who had been a sideline victim all the while, suffered Mrs. Muto’s glare and he widened his eyes in fear, retreating in the cushions more than he had already done: «I… I can confirm that. I’m perfectly clean», he said, feeling a embarrassment he had never felt before nibbling at his cheeks and ears.   
Of course, Gozaburo had been very exhaustive on the sex subject, especially because he had used it, and Seto, as a means of exchange to attract rich and influential businessmen. But in that situation, Seto didn’t even know how to react.  
With his stepfather was simple.   
Seto maintained an indifferent expression, got in the bed with this or that son or daughter of a client or potential ally, and accomplished his task without complaining.   
“Don’t take it personal”, Gozaburo always told him, before shoving his adopted son in a room, as if he was just some sort of sex toy to be used at will. “It’s just business. You get in there, do you part, and we get an associate».   
The disgust filled him to the brim just by thinking about those times, in which Seto was nothing but a doll to be used for pleasure. Most of the times he didn’t even move or anything. He just stayed there, and let them to their business.  
Because of that past, the CEO could understand the woman’s concerns better than anyone.   
He himself, after Gozaburo’s death, had undergone all the possible exams to which he could be subjected, just to be sure he hadn’t got any STDs from that sickening practice.  
«Me and Yugi have talked about it from the beginning. It’s only… we don’t avoid protection very often. Just… just on some occasions», he added, gaining a look of approval, and even an understanding nod.

 

 

 

«It has to be more pleasurable without it, I get it. well, that’s all I wanted to know», she finally concluded, rising from her chair.   
«I’ll go help Ashley and your grandfather in the shop. I don’t want to intrude more that I’ve already done. But you know, mothers tend to worry about this things. I’m sorry about the Talk», she added, winking at both men before leaving the living room.

 

 

 

Seto stared wide-eyed at Yugi, disconcerted: «I would have never thought your mother could tell us _that_ », he finally managed to say, slowly losing the red blush on his face and ears.   
«I thought I had to bear a spees about how I must be careful not to hurt you, or at least some sort of death threat».

 

 

 

«You know what, Seto? I think I would have preferred that».

 

 

 

 

 

Seto and Yugi lingered in the living room until 7 pm, glued in front of a Duel Monsters channel and engaged in commenting the moves of every Duelist who crossed the screen, sometimes positively, others with criticisms.   
Seto became particularly flared up when one Duelist set a whole strategy down the drain with a badly used Trap Card, and proceeded to launch himself into the illustration of at least five ways he could have won by using the exact same cards.  
Yugi, for his part, listened at his rant with a smile; he never grew weary of seeing the CEO so energetic and active about something that wasn’t his gods forsaken job.   
Although, in retrospective, Duel Monsters _was_ part of his job.

 

 

 

At the end of the show, Seto got up from the couch and reached for his purple coat, but Yugi’s mother stopped his purpose: «Why don’t you stay for dinner? I won’t mind talking to you a little bit more», she said, raising an eyebrow. «Aside from the previous conversation, that is».

 

 

 

Unsure, Seto first glanced at Yugi; the man replied with a shrug, turning off the TV, and the CEO took his phone out of his pocket to text Mokuba about it.  
«I guess I can accept. Just let me tell my brother», he decided, tapping a short text on the keyboard before hitting send.  
In the end, Mrs. Muto was a person whose character pleased and entertained Seto, a strong woman made of few but forward words.   
Moreover, refusing her invitation didn’t seem a good decision, especially because the woman had clearly expressed her previous disappointment in the CEO’s regards, even if words hadn’t been her weapon of choice.   
After sending a brief text to Roland, so he could warn the kitchen staff to cook dinner only for Mokuba, Seto sat back on the couch next to Yugi, and looked at the man’s Deck, scattered on the coffee table alongside a bunch of other cards.   
He hadn’t even noticed Mr. Muto had already left them alone, relocating in the kitchen.   
«What are you working on? New strategy or new cards?», he asked Yugi, pointing at them.

 

 

 

Yugi waved his hand, moving from the couch to the ground: «New strategy and new cards. I want to take this with me on the next tour. The Deck needs only a few tweaking and then it’s ready to be tested», he explained, stacking Monster, Spell and Trap Card in alphabetic order.   
Unlike his usual, the new Deck was all about the Black Luster Soldier and the Gaia archetypes. It didn’t even include either the “Dark Magician” or the “Dark Magician Girl”, nor other cards amongst his most famous ones. For the most part, that particular Deck had never been seen by anyone, public or private.  
«I want to build a Deck I never made public. I can’t keep using the same ones in every tournaments. Eventually I’ll run out of strategies and someone will put together a smart game and defeat me», he said, handing the Deck to Seto.   
He wouldn’t test it against the CEO, after all, so he could see it.   
«I want to test the Deck against your Duel Robot. Especially, against my own Deck. I’m not building a new one to face you», he, in fact, added, upon seeing the questioning look forming in the CEO’s eyes.

 

 

 

It was a really good Deck, flawlessly balanced between Monster, Spell and Trap Cards, and showed a great number of possible strategies and excellent counter-strategies, worthy of the Duelist bearing the title of King of Games.   
Seto frowned at the memory that crossed his mind, the day he recognized Yugi, not Atem, as the true King of Games. The day in which Yugi defeated the Pharaoh, and he passed on. The day Yugi lost the Duelist fire in his heart.   
Shaking his head, the man shooed that recall away; Atem was in the world of the living, for as much as such thing could be told, and Yugi had been quick in regain his desire to Duel, even though his fire had mostly faded with Atem’s disappearance. It was no case Yugi had decided to dedicate himself on creating games, before claiming back his rightfully gained title.   
The same happened to Seto who, because of Yugi’s temporary withdrawal, had closed his Deck and Duel Disk in his safe and had took them in had only for and from his mad quest of crossing Dimensions.   
«It’s very well built, but you’re right. It still need some tweaking», he observed, returning his focus on the cards he was holding. «I didn’t think you would include “Gateway to Chaos” as well. Isn’t it the card Pegasus made just for you?».

 

 

 

«Yeah, it is», Yugi replied. «But the archetypes supported by it are far too rare, and that card literally cannot be released to the public. I mean, besides me, I think two people own bits of those archetypes? Not to mention that the “Black Luster Soldier” archetype was a limited edition one, and I own almost every copy. At most, I’m missing one or two copies of cards I already have».  
When Seto handed him his Deck back, Yugi put it in its holster and plopped on the couch, nuzzling the CEO as soon as he hit the soft surface upon seeing he didn’t push him away.   
«Same thing goes for the “Gaia” one. The older cards, like the basic “Gaia the Fierce Knight”, have had a slightly larger spread, but it’s not nearly enough. And “Gateway to Chaos” sure isn’t the only card in my exclusive possession, so no point in not using it».

 

 

 

Seto and Yugi carried on their discussion about Duel Monsters until they were lured out by the smell of grilled meat.  
Seto in particular, upon reaching the kitchen, seemed incredibly excited to see delicate beef fillets sizzling on the stove, and Yugi smiled as he remembered that was one of the CEO’s favorite dishes.   
On the table, arranged neatly, other dishes contained roasted sweet potatoes, crispy eggplant fries and spinach and shallot salad.   
Yugi twisted his nose at the latter, disgusted by the taste of shallow since the time he had eaten it for the first time, and darted his eyes in the kitchen, looking for something do to.   
His mother and grandfather, however, had left him nothing but sit down and wait for dinner to be ready, so Yugi took a chair and was immediately imitated by Seto, who sat in front of Solomon.   
As he had been during lunch, grandpa was busy reading something on the tablet Yugi had gifted him. Since that day, Solomon rarely got away from it, always scouting the web for some interesting articles on this or that archaeological site.

 

 

 

«Alright, are we all here? Solomon, put that thing away, dinner’s ready!», Mrs. Muto scolded the old man, placing down a tray full of steaming meat.  
«Help yourself, Seto. You’re the guest, so the first taste is your», she then said, finally sitting down.

 

 

 

Seto thanked her and filled his plate with a portion of everything, both to not seem rude to his host, and because the smell and appearance of every single dish was really inviting.   
Once everyone had their plate full of food, Seto took a bite of beef fillet and widened his eyes, surprised at how delicious and perfectly cooked the meat was, neither too little nor too much, flawlessly salty and juicy.  
Even his cooks disfigured in front of that, and they were professionals.

 

 

 

Seeing his delighted expression, Mrs. Muto smiled: «So you like it? I didn’t know what to cook, but I thought you could like this type of cuisine. No offense, but you don’t look like a person who enjoys traditional Japanese cuisine», she said.

 

 

 

«No, indeed», Seto replied, pouring himself a glass of water. There was wine on the table, but the CEO preferred taking the whole dinner cautiously. Yugi’s mother still seemed in search of something bad about him, negative traits that could affect or endanger her son maybe, so Seto avoided the alcoholic drink.   
«It’s absolutely wonderful», he admitted after taking a sip. «I didn’t know you were such a skilled cook».

 

 

 

«I suppose I should feel honored. From what I know about you, Seto, you’re certainly not a man who dispenses compliments to anyone», she smiled gently, showing her gratitude.   
«I don’t have many occasions to cook for guests, especially because I rarely even have time to cook at all. It’s nice to feel appreciated», she then added, glancing at Yugi, who was resentfully staring at the bowl of salad in front of him.

 

 

 

Taking the hint, Yugi pouted: «Oh, come on. You know I don’t like shallot», he defended himself, in the same tone he always used since he was a child.   
Same betrayed expression, too.

 

 

 

His mother laughed, apologizing: «I’m sorry, I didn’t think about it. My fault».  
Then, she turned back to Seto: «You inherited KaibaCorp. at a very young age», she started the conversation.  
The CEO nodded at that statement, and she went on: «Has it been difficult, finding yourself at the very peak of a company that great? I don’t think I can figure it out».

 

 

 

«It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure», Seto immediately answered, putting down knife and fork.   
He had foreseen he would face that subject, no one even forgot to mention it, in one way or another.   
«I had to face a lot of issues, of course, but it hasn’t been too difficult. A little exasperating, to say it all. My step-father, Gozaburo, had been a cruel but very good teacher about business, although I don’t miss him the small bit», he said, clearing his throat in mid-sentence.  
That name slipped like acid on his tongue every time it left his mouth, burning his vocal cords as it went by.   
«The hardest part has been cancelling all contracts and bindings with other companies specialized in trade and manufacture of firearms and war machines, while at the same time stipulating new alliances with corporations more suited to the new KaibaCorp. role. That has been the worst time, a very tedious, long and tiring period, but the results can be seen to this day. I would go back a thousand times and still do that again.   
Gozaburo’s war empire could not continue to stand on rubble and deaths caused by his weapon, so I changed everything I could. It was my main motivation, putting a stop to that death market. It still is, to tell the truth».

 

 

 

Mrs. Muto smiled amiably: «It’s a great thing, the kind of change you brought into that company. Not everyone would overturn a successful and rich war hegemony to transform it in an empire of leisure and entertainment. It’s an incredibly good action».

 

 

 

Seto blew out a sneer: «I didn’t think I wanted to do something good, back then. I just wanted to overthrow and subvert my step-father’s authority, eliminate all traces of his cruelty and replace it with something of mine, entirely mine. Insult to injury», he replied.   
Yugi, from under the table, squeezed his hand, encouragingly.   
«All I wanted was to get rid of Gozaburo and create something that would not destroy a world already in ruins. But… I wasn’t a good person. I don’t think I would never even imagined to be associated with such a term, if Yugi hadn’t put some reason back in me», he added, carefully choosing his words.   
It wasn’t easy for Seto to speak so honestly, bluntly, but the reward was a softening in the woman’s expression.   
«I’ve never regretted what I’ve done, despite the not always fair means I used to achieve some of my goals».

 

 

 

«You gifted a smile to the world, Seto. And you freed it from a little bit of  harshness, although it’s surely impossible to achieve peace».  
Mrs. Muto didn’t ask how he got rid of the old company associates, or how he had thrown Gozaburo out of his way. She also refrained herself from raising the subject of the old businessman suicide, because there were no doubts Seto had been law-abiding in obtaining his place as head of KaibaCorp. That is, despite his stunning and clever takeover. A coup d’etat, really.   
However, her curiosity was not completely extinguished: «Why were you so stubborn in you desire to defeat Yugi? It couldn’t have been just a wish for revenge because he beat you».

 

 

 

Yugi laughed at Seto’s expression, suddenly distorted by the tedious memory of the blatant defeat that made him lose the title of world champion, an stroke the back of his hand, as if to apologize.   
He had totally deserved to be obliterated, though. 

 

 

 

In response, Seto glared at him, but then shook his head: «No, it wasn’t just that. Sure, initially I just wanted to take my revenge and deal an ever worse defeat on Yugi, one of the reasons I created the Battle City tournament», he said. «But, over time, that rivalry has become more of a competition than a matter of pride. Even today, to be honest. I still want to defeat him, but I don’t want his title or anything. The days in which I whined about it are long gone.   
Yugi has been the first Duelist to defeat me, in a game where I was considered the greatest champion in the world (aside from Pegasus), and since then our rivalry has become a race to the best, a race to the one who can use cards and strategy in the best way. Yugi is the only adversary – and Atem, he added mentally – I find worthy of challenging. Not because other Duelists are incapable, but because he’s able to fully grasp the concept of a game too many fail to see.   
Yugi is constantly evolving, he is always able to find a way to turn a bad situation around in his favor. I would really not want to see him lose to anyone, if not against me», he then added, shifting his attention to him.   
The reaction Seto had when Joey told him about Yugi’s defeat by the hands of Rafael spoke for both.   
«A few years ago I would have never admitted this, undoubtedly. But, as I learned in the hard way, there’s no fun and no integrity in discrediting a Duelist who, after years, has never lost his fighting spirit».

 

 

 

«Seto…».

 

 

 

Seto smiled at Yugi, forgetting for a moment his mother and grandfather were in the room as well: «I never told you, didn’t I? Acknowledge you as the true King of Games is not the only step forward I’ve made, even before we… well, you know».

 

 

 

«Thank you. It… it really means a lot to me», he replied, hiding a shy smile.

 

 

 

After a while, Mrs. Muto broke the silence that fell in the kitchen: «You’re a good person, Seto. I’m sorry I doubted you, but I hope you’ll understand why I asked you so many questions. We didn’t have a good start».  
Seto nodded without reply anything, so she widened her smile: «I’m happy my son has you by his side, you are a beautiful couple. Bizarre, but still beautiful. I guess you’re part of our family now, Seto, even though I would have never thought this for the sake of life», she giggled, getting up to put away and wash the dishes.  
Talking and discussing, dinner was over.

 

 

 

In that, Solomon, who hadn’t said a single word for the entire conversation, called his grandson out: «Yugi? Would you mind recovering me a sweater from my room? I’m a bit cold».  
Of course Yugi nodded and, as soon as he disappeared in the hallway, Solomon stood up from the chair and approached Seto, patting him on the shoulder: «You know, my daughter-in-law is right. You’re a very nice couple», he told him, in his usual gruff tone.   
«I’m sorry I didn’t notice it before, I must have caused a lot of trouble with my… unsympathetic behavior? But you know, it’s not easy to get used to the idea the teenager who once hospitalized you is now dating your grandson», he added with a laugh. «No hard feelings left, of course».  
Then, Yugi came back with the sweater for him and Solomon fell silent, soon moving to the living room after grabbing his tablet.

 

 

 

«What were you… ah, you know what? I don’t care. Do you want to stay a little longer? We could play chess, it’s been a long time since our last play», Yugi proposed to the CEO, who agreed after thinking a bit about it. It wasn’t late, after all.   
Ignoring the eloquent look his mother gave them, Yugi led Seto to his bedroom and retrieve the chessboard, buried in his closet under a pile of dark jeans and leather pants. Sooner or later that mess would need to be taken care of, but the man preferred to ignore it.  
«Oh, black or whi… why I always ask you, you always take the white», Yugi halted himself in the middle of the question.

 

Once the board was finally set up with all the pieces in place, Seto began with the first move and the two immersed themselves in the game for more than two hours, In absolute silence.   
Chess wasn’t Duel Monsters, neither of them screamed intimidations or challenges every three seconds at each other.   
Purple crimson eyes and blue eyes never moved away from the pieces in play, measuring every single move dictated by intuition and intellect before carrying it out.  
Slowly, on both sides empty spaces began to form, while the chessboard cries the loss of pawns, rooks and knights, and the ruling pieces faced each other, no holds barred.

 

«Checkmate».  
Plenty of moves later, Yugi gave a victorious smile and won the game.   
«You kinda put me in a corner with your last move. That was difficult to counter», he said.   
Both he and Seto were left with very few pieces on the board, while all the others were stacked on its sides, eliminated from the game during its course.   
In the end, however, Yugi had pulled out the winning move, surprising himself. He didn’t often win against Seto at chess, co he considered the win a well-deserved success.

 

 

 

«You played well», Seto agreed, crossing his arms.   
He wasn’t sour about the loss, that feeling rarely returned visiting him.  
Moreover, throughout the game, a constant thought had bothered his brain and influenced his concentration on the game. A thought he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to expose it aloud.

 

 

 

«Is something wrong, Seto? You seem… distant».

 

 

 

«Uh? No, it’s all right», he replied, carelessly waving a hand. «I was just thinking about something. Two things, actually».   
Noting Yugi’s intrigued and impatient look, Seto sighed: «I was thinking about us».

 

 

 

«About… us?».

 

 

 

«Yes».  
With a nod, Seto told Yugi to move on the bed and the both sat on the mattress, which sank under their combined weight.   
Not knowing how to choose the words, Seto lifted a hand and began playing with Yugi’s hair, or at least, with the golden locks that were not pointing directly at the ceiling: «I was thinking… It’s just an idea, you… you don’t _have_ to accept», he tried to say, with the sole result of diverting his own speech.  
Exasperated by himself, Seto shook his head when Yugi opened his mouth to speak and took a moment to calm his heartbeat, suddenly crazy.   
As always, when he tried to deal with… sentimental talks? No, wrong term.  
Talks more oriented towards a purely loving and tender relationship? Definitely.   
He didn’t even know where that particular thing would end up, in case of an affirmative answer, given Seto’s lack of ability to relate to anyone, plus his still lingering difficulty in accepting and processing feelings like friendship and love.   
Without ceasing to twist Yugi’s long, golden lock around his fingers, Seto lost himself in his eyes, in his dual spirit. The Pharaoh, lost in their recesses, stared back at him, with the same questioning look of his host.  
«I was wondering if you… well… do you want to move in with me?».  
There, he said it.

 

 

 

«Move in… with you?».  
Taken aback, Yugi raised his eyebrows, quite surprised.   
He didn’t expect that offer to come so soon, not from a person like Seto, who still needed his time to adapt to their relationship.   
«I don’t know. It’s… it’s too sudden, if you put it like this. Don’t misunderstand me, I would really like to – he hurried to add – but… you have to give me some time to think about it, okay?», he replied. «This is an important decision».  
He sighed, grabbing both the hand that was playing with his hair and the one resting restlessly on the mattress, whose fingers fidgeted on the comforter. He squeezed them and smiled at Seto: «I’m happy you asked me to move in with you. But… I can’t give you an answer now», he said, softly. «I have to take care of my grandfather, I don’t want to leave him just like this. For as much as the thought hurts me, even if he still wants me to believe he’s the usual energetic archaeologist he was, he could leave me at any moment. I don’t want to leave with that awareness».

 

 

A little disappointed, a little relieved by that answer, Seto bent down to leave a soft kiss on Yugi’s forehead: «You don’t want to leave your family before time. I understand. As far as I can remember, they day my parents died I felt devastated. Even if I had little time to mourn them», he said, in a reassuring tone.   
Gently, he untangles his hands from Yugi’s grip and placed both palms on his face, pressing their foreheads together: «As I said, the decision is yours to make. I won’t rush you. I don’t want you to feel obliged to accept, in any way».  
Just barely, Seto wanted to explain him the full reason he wanted him to be close, not only the desire of having Yugi at his side more than a few hours a day, but he failed to speak.   
In that case, Yugi would feel forced to accept, and the CEO wanted him to choose freely, with no outside interventions.   
If Seto had told him he wanted Yugi near to counter the tempting call of the shadows and the cries coming from the Millennium Rod, the man wouldn’t have thought twice before packing his stuff and following him.   
That didn’t fell right.  
«I’ll be waiting for you, whenever you decide», he said, finally tilting his head to kiss him, a long, sweet caress of soft lips.   
Even Atem and Seth, the CEO could feel their spirits, joined in.

 

 

 

They stayed there, embraced and lulled by the sound of their breath and heartbeat, until Seto decided it was time to leave.  
Smiling, though a little melancholy, Yugi took off his Blue-Eyes White Dragon hoodie and handed it to the CEO: «There, I think it’s time I return this to you. You have kept your right upon the Blue-Eyes props in your possession», he said, winking at him. «For now, your dragons are safe to live».   
Seto took the hoodie with a half-laugh, and after a last hug took his leave, abandoning Yugi to his thoughts.

 

 

 

_“Partner?”_.  
Attracted by the whirlwind in Yugi’s mind, the Pharaoh appeared beside his host, floating on the mattress.

 

 

“Do you think it’s a good idea? Moving in with Seto”.

 

 

_“This you have to try and figure out on your own, Yugi. I won’t deny it, I would love to live with Seto, but I’m only a spirit, after all”_.

 

 

“Seto loves you too, not only me”

 

 

_“As well as Seth. But you are the owner of yourself, partner. If leaving grandpa scares you, act accordingly. Talk to him, maybe, or to someone who’s not me. I cannot help you in this, even if I would like to. We may live in the same body, but I don’t want to influence you with my wishes. I can wait with you, if you want to wait”._

 

 

“I would really like to move in with Seto. I didn’t think he would ask me to so quickly, and in all honesty I feel guilty for delaying my answer”.

 

 

_“Don’t feel guilty for choosing your family’s sake over him. Seto can understand this better than many others. Take the time you need and don’t worry too much”_.

 

 

“Are you sure?”.

 

 

_“You tell me. Are you sure you want to wait before making such an important decision? It’s not irrevocable, this is obvious, but this doesn’t make it less relevant. You’re not choosing between happiness and disgrace. You’re happy living here with grandpa, I can feel that. And you’ll be happy living with Seto. Don’t hurry to reach your answer, because is a difficult one to get”._

“I’ll talk with Joey. You’re right, I need some advice. And I don’t want to ask grandpa, because I know he’ll tell me to don’t worry and live my life without thinking too much about him. Same goes for my mother, that’s for sure. On the other hand, Joey had moved in with Mai, so he could really help me decide”, Yugi finally settled on.  
Seto had been able to take such a long step, for his character at least. He had to do it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Did you like "THE TALK" Yugi's mother put on that poor CEO and King of Games shoulders?   
> To be honest, I never got it. Literally my mother never even raised the issue with me, being impossibly shy about it. So, I kinda went by sheer imagination, hoping it would work.   
> I mean, I'm an aromantic/asexual twenty-one years old crazy girl with no interest in sex or whatsoever, so you can get the problem, here. 
> 
> About Yugi's mother, you should have noticed I never gave her a name. I don't plan to give her one, because she's not going to be a recurrent character in this (she's coming back, obviously, but just for one or two more chapters). Also, because I didn't actually want to give her a name. I planned to give her one, in the early stages of this chapter, but I changed my mind because I couldn't find one that was fitting. I'm saying this just because a lot of authors I've read gave her a name, just that. 
> 
> This chapter should have had a lot more going on in it. To give you a hint, Yugi and Joey's conversation should have taken place here, and then resumed in the chapter that would come next. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish that part in time AND this chapter is pretty long as it is, so... change of plans. 
> 
> A last note, I'm planning on modifying the paragraph spacing in previous chapters, because the first ones are awful block of text and I know it's painful to read like that. If my university lets me, that's set as stone. 
> 
> Sorry for the long end notes, and...  
> As always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi shook his head, clutching his arms around his body.  
> The anger had retreated just enough to feel more like an intruder of his mind, rather than an invited guest, but the storm of confused thoughts and guilt went on undeterred in his mind: “Why can’t he open his eyes? He doesn’t want to see beyond himself, and I can’t understand why!”.  
> Demoralized, ditching every attempt to calm down, Yugi hid his head behind his hands: “Why doesn’t he want to help me?!”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, just a quick note before leaving you to the story.  
> Unfortunately, this chapter has not been beta'ed. That is, because people apparently like to ditch me (sorry, F., but I had to). So, if you find grammatical errors or other mistakes, that's the main reason why. I'll try to fix this chapter if it needs some tweaking when my friend decides to be helpful again, but for now, sorry about this.

_“Yugi! Wake up, Yugi! It’s snowing!”._

Abruptly snatched away from his (for once) good dream, Yugi lethargically lifted his eyelids and performed a huge yawn, rubbing his sleepy eyes.  
The room was dim, barely lit by the white-ish glow coming from outside, so Yugi reached out to turn on the bedside table, protesting for the sudden wake-up call: “It’s not the first time you see the snow, Pharaoh. You could have at least let me sleep a bit more”.

 

The spirit’s gaze, however, so absorbed and amazed by the tiny snowflakes slowly falling from a clouded sky, made a smile emerge on the lips of his host.  
The first time Atem had seen the snow, when Yugi was still the fifteen years old boy who had completed the Millennium Puzzle and was just discovering the wonders of having a dead Pharaoh’s spirit living inside him, he stood still in place, watching it fall with an utterly ecstatic and surprised expression.   
When Yugi allowed him to exchange bodies, the Pharaoh had not waited a moment before running out of the house and putting his feet in the snow, a soft blanket piled during the night. He had stared at it wide-eyes, stunned by how cold it was to the touch.  
Of course, the day after Yugi had found himself with a horrible fever and a cold no one would ever envy, but he had finally managed to make the spirit happy, stealing him from his constant melancholy and fear of being forgotten.   
Indeed, the Pharaoh’s constant apologues helped raising his feelings. Atem stayed by his side until he had felt better, worrying about his health and never stopping his “sorry” and “it’s my fault” or “let me suffer that, I’ve been the reckless one”, but Yugi shrug it all off.

 

“It was about time. It’s almost Christmas, and this is the first snow of this winter”, Yugi said, approaching the window to take a peek outside. The glass clouded over the very instant the man’s breath touched it, given the temperature difference.   
The road, or at least the portion visible by the window, was quite clean thanks to efficient plows, and the endless traffic prevented the snow to set down again. Everything else, though, was completely covered by a soft, white mantle, dotted here and there with footprints belonging to animals and people.   
With an amused smile, Yugi noticed a cat leap right into the snow, whilst trying to reach a less covered place to stay.

 

 _“It’s beautiful”_ , Atem said, a ghostly hand resting on the window’s glass. _“Who knows how it would have looked, covering my palace”_.

 

For a moment Yugi tried to imagine the immense palace lost in the sands of Egypt, no longer drenched  in intense sunlight but covered with layers and layers of freezing snow, its pure white in high contrast with the golden decorations and the brown and ocher building.   
The idea of a desert palace blanketed by cold snow was so absurd it made him giggle, be Yugi couldn’t deny it would be a splendid sight, if not totally incredible. But unfortunately, impossible.  
“If snow would have fallen out of the blue, back in Ancient Egypt, don’t you think someone would have traced the phenomenon back to an angered god? I mean, a sudden wave of cold weather in generally warm land, as cool as nowadays people think it is, would certainly be the cause of a sudden and general panic”, Yugi considered, with a shrug. “I’m pretty sure if you had lived only in that time, without experiencing the modern world attitude, you would have been the first to try and do something to appease the gods. Or am I wrong?”.

 

Atem nodded: _“Not completely wrong. But I have to admit, living in this time is opening my eyes more than I had ever imagined”_ , he replied. Then, the Pharaoh turned his back to the snowflakes to stare into Yugi’s eyes: _“So, we’re going to talk today with Joey?”_.

 

Yugi walked away from the window and disconnected his phone from the charger; it was 10:30 am, and dozens of notifications, texts and e-mails were flashing on the screen, so the man began checking them before answering affirmatively to the Pharaoh.  
After sending one last confirmation to a very promising concept art, sent to him by one of his best concept artists, Yugi stretched his arms above his head and headed towards the bathroom, already looking forward to a hot and steamy shower.  
“You know, I still don’t know what I’m going to say, exactly”, Yugi admitted, turning on the water so it could heat up.  
Meanwhile, the man grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed his favorite mint toothpaste on it, brushing energetically his teeth before rinsing his mouth. The faint scent and taste of mint lingered, freshening his breath.  
Then, seeing the water was hot enough, he dropped his pajamas on the ground and stepped into the shower: “It’s a rather… bizarre situation? I don’t know how else I could define it”, Yugi added to what he was saying.

 

 _“Yeah, no kidding”_ , Atem replied, floating just out of reach of the steam emanating from the shower.   
He didn’t care much about his host’s naked figure behind the glass panes, the Pharaoh was used to it. just like he was used to more… intimate things relating his partner.  
_“Just speak sincerely, partner. There is not much to say, you are just looking for advice from someone who actually know something about living together with another person”_ , he added, diverting his thoughts before Yugi could catch them.

 

“If you say so”.   
Not quite convinced, Yugi soaped his hair with a good amount of shampoo and rinsed before speaking again, shuddering at the sudden temperature change when he emerged from the steamy air of the shower: “I don’t know, I kinda have the impression he might react badly”, he said.   
Shivering, Yugi grabbed a huge towel and dried himself with it, before tying it on his hips. He grabbed a smaller one for his hair and headed back into his room, immediately searching for some warm clothes.  
“We’re still talking about Seto, and Joey… well, he doesn’t know anything about the fact we’re dating. He doesn’t hang out with him a lot, you know that”.  
After putting on a pair of black pants and a matching hoodie, Yugi went back to the bathroom to recover the hairdryer, the spirit still following him up close: “You remember the last time we all met up, don’t you? He barely spoke to him. Hel, he barely _looked_ at him”.

 

The Pharaoh nodded, well remembering Joey’s unconventional behavior at the Japanese restaurant, weeks before, but the shrugged: _“He was not that bad. All in all, I think it is more rivalry than anything else. Joey has always wanted to beat him, somehow, and the fact Seto more than once trampled him could be the reason behind his manners. Joey is not a person who hates someone just because”_.

 

“I know, but… I still have a bad feeling about this”.

 

 

 

 

 

Two hours later, Yugi got off the bus he had chosen to take instead of relying on his motorcycle and, with his boots sinking in the snow at every step, reached his favorite fast food restaurant, Burger World.   
In perfect Christmas spirit, the whole building was submerged and showered with multicolored lights, lit even during the day despite the dim light of a hidden sun made their shimmering almost invisible.   
Yugi and Joey had decided to meet there for lunch, so they could also spend some time together now that they were both (kind of) free from their work hours.  
Yugi, of course, always had free weekends, although he often decided to pass them carrying out various steps and projects regarding his job, but Joey almost never took a day off his studies. His determination on getting his degree was stronger than ever.   
Because of that, taking advantage of the opportunity, Joey had proposed Burger World, in the name of the good old days, and Yugi happily accepted.

 

 _“This thing is still bothering you”_.

 

Crossing the threshold, Yugi was immediately hit by a cacophony of voices and Christmas music, and the delicious smell of fries, meat and sauce, as well as the sweet chocolate aroma coming from a milkshake stand, assaulted his nostrils.   
With a sigh, Yugi spotted an empty seat near the main window and focused his attention on the street traffic, ignoring Atem’s ghostly reflection on the glass: “I can’t help it. I have the feeling our friendship is at stake, and I’m afraid of this feeling”.

 

 _“Joey is not that uncompromising with Seto”_.

 

“Not when I’m present”, Yugi quickly replied. “For what I know, he could low-key hate him without admitting it. As much as I want to believe those two have reached some sort of cooperation, I still have the impression Joey thinks more than he says. I don’t want to underestimate him or anything like that, but knowing Seto’s reputation, I can’t ignore this either”.   
Before Atem could say something, however, the conversation between the host and the spirit was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of the main problem in his mind, a walking mess with rebellious blond hair.  
«Hi, Joey!», Yugi greeted him, waving a hand to let him spot where he was.

 

 

 

From the doorstep, Joey spotted Yugi and rushed to the table, sitting down on the bench in front of him: «Hey, Yug! We finally got time to see each other, it seems. How’s it going?».

 

 

 

«You ask me that every day, Joey», Yugi replied, returning his friend’s smile. «It’s all right, for the most part”, he then answered, raising a hand to catch the attention of the nearest waitress to order.  
Burger World had interactive screens to order food, like all other fast food restaurant in Domino, but Yugi had had enough of seeing technology everywhere.  
After sending days locked in the high-tech KaibaCorp.’s skyscraper, the King of Games aspired to something more… traditional, for once.   
Seto could prefer a life brought forward only by technology and high-technology, but too often than not Yugi welcomed with great positivity the opportunity to leave it behind for a while.   
Above all because his job (his double job, to be fair) and most of his hobbies required its constant presence.

 

Yugi ordered a Burger World’s classic, with a double portion of fries, while Joey dared on newer menus and products, dropping his choice on a double cheeseburger with bacon, cheddar fried and fried chicken with barbecue sauce.   
After taking their orders, the waitress turned away with a smile and Yugi shook his head, ironically: «At this rate you’ll really need Seto’s medical technologies to survive», he said.

 

 

 

«Come on, I don’t eat like that every day. Let’s see it as a reward for the hard work I’m doing with my studies», Joey replied, squinting a bit at Seto’s mention and pretending to feel insulted, dramatically bringing a hand to his chest.   
«Rather – he added – why did you say that? You’re not feeling well, Yugi?».

 

 

 

«Mh? Oh, no», Yugi hurried to say. «I’m fine, really. In fact, I feel better than I was less than a month ago. It’s just… You remember the main reason we’re here, right?».

 

 

 

«Yup. You wanted to ask me something, but you didn’t tell me the issue. What do you want, pal?».

 

 

 

«Well, I…».  
Yugi paused when the same waitress who had taken their orders showed up at the table with two trays of food, placing them in front of the two men.  
The hamburger on his tray was so inviting Yugi decided to start eating before talking, and Joey was in perfect agreement of that, looking down at his huge cheeseburger.

 

Once the burgers had disappeared in their stomachs, Yugi attacked his fries and resumed the conversation, interrupting a lighter chatting: «I wanted to ask for your advice, actuallt», he began, gulping down his food.  
Eyes fixed on the tray instead of Joey, Yugi cleared his throat, no longer sure he wanted to address the topic: «Even if I don’t know if it’s going to be useful, in the long run».

 

 

 

Intrigued, Joey put down the tiny plastic fork with which he was scooping the cheddar on the fries package’s bottom, and frowned: «Advice? Damn, Yugi, this must be something really unforeseen if you’re asking me», he said. «However, you can tell me. I’ll help I can».

 

 

 

Yugi opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the right words so he closed it again.  
Taking a few moments to think, he swallowed some fries and reflected on how to deal with the whole situation.   
He certainly couldn’t make Seto’s involvement jump out of nowhere, so he decided to delay the issue before coming to the point: «You’ve been living with Mai for a while, haven’t you?».

 

 

 

«Yeah, I am. What’s the point?».  
Joey gulped down a bite of fried chicken and took a sip of coke, quite puzzled by Yugi’s question: «Of course, Mai and I decided to move in together a couple of weeks ago. We told the whole group about it. What’s up, Yug? Why the sudden interest?».

 

 

 

«Well, it’s a bit… complicated», Yugi tried to explain, miserably failing.  
To take some time, he finished the rest of his fries and irrigated it all with his fizzy drink, squinting in pain when the icy liquid slid down his throat.   
He had no intention on making Joey worry, but at the same time he didn’t want to make him angry.  
«Was it easy for you? Moving in together, I mean. It mustn’t have been a simple decision», he asked, immediately cursing himself for having done so.  
Of course it hadn’t been a difficult decision for them. Mai had lived alone for years and Joey had been more than happy to leave his father behind a long time before.   
Yugi began to wish he had asked someone else for advice more and more, but Joey’s answer left him blown away.

 

 

 

«To be honest, it hasn’t been an easy choice. I mean, dating is one thing, but moving in together… it took us a while to agree on that, and for a while I mean _a lot_. When live under the same roof you begin to notice much more than you saw before, and you start asking yourself more questions about your relationship. Long story short, one thing is spend a few hours, or days together; another is see each other constantly, day and night, every single day», Joey replied, biting another piece off of his fried chicken.   
«With time, even not that much time, you start seeing all the faults you might have missed, all the negative things you may have chosen to ignore, but don’t take it all under a negative light. While living with Mai, even if it’s been a short time, I also learned many other positive aspects of her personality! Even some things I would have never imagined, so simple you don’t even think about it in the first place», he added, to lighten up his words.

 

 

 

Yugi didn’t speak, weighing Joey’s words, and took another long sip of his drink.   
It was a very different issue with Seto, because both of them had to deal with Atem and Seth, who luckily knew each other perfectly, and Seto and Yugi themselves were almost on the same page, so they were a little bit more aided in that.   
But, Joey’s speech about virtues and faults had instilled some doubts in Yugi’s mind.  
What if the King of Games, one day, would discover a side of the CEO he could not stand for the love of his life?

 

 _“Don’t overreact, partner. You know Seto more than anyone, save Mokuba. You know that’s not the case”_ , Atem reassured him, quickly seizing the moment to do so. _“Don’t let yourself become too influenced by Joey’s point of view. Remember, Joey and Mai are two people with a relationship that is completely different from what ties us to Seto and Seth, both on a material and spiritual level”_.

 

“Cryptic words, Pharaoh”, Yugi commented, but held back a smile. Atem wasn’t wrong, for the most part.  
Then, putting down his empty cup, Yugi asked another question: «And what about the more… material plane? It’s been easy, deciding to move into another house?».

 

 

 

Joey raised his eyebrows, pensively: «What can I say… for me it hasn’t been that difficult, but that’s just because I had already moved a few years ago», he answered, shrugging. «In the end, it’s a change of scenery, and that’s it. after a while you get used to it, you get new routines and everything, even though it may seem strange at first. But, Yugi? Why exactly are you asking me all of this? What is it, did you get a girlfriend and never told anyone?», he teased.

 

 

 

«No, I…».  
Yugi felt his cheeks burn, taken aback by that sudden (but not unexpected) change of subject, and looked away from Joey’s eyes again: «More or less. But before I tell you anything – he quickly added, raising defensively his hands – I’d like you to help me figure out a situation I don’t know how to deal with».

 

 

 

«What kind of situation?».

 

 

 

«You see, I… I’m very undecided about moving out my house. The things you said, about a relationship that’s continuously evolving, is not bad», Yugi replied, having trouble in finding the right words. «The major problem is… well, I don’t want to leave my grandfather alone. I’m afraid I’m going to lose him when I’m not there, and I can’t understand what’s the right thing to do. I was hoping you could help me figure this out, even if only a tiny bit».

 

 

 

«Yugi…».  
Joey tried to close the gap between them, resting his elbows on the table to face him at a closer distance: «You’re worried about him. It’s understandable. Grandpa’s an old man, and you don’t want to leave him because of that».  
Yugi nodded, and Joey leaned back on the bench, crossing his arms: «What I can tell you, Yug, and it may seems a bit egoistic in a way, is that you can’t keep on living your life thinking only about other people. Obviously, I’m not saying this because you have to become some selfish person, you’re quite the opposite of that. Hell, I’ve never met a person more selfless and caring than you. But… the thing is, if you think too much about other people, even if it’s family, you’re not going to go anywhere.   
Even if you move out, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see your grandfather anymore, does it? you can go back to your house and meet him whenever you want, even every day if it makes you happy, or serene. He’s not going to disappear from your life at the moment you step out of his sight. My advice is: follow your instinct. If it tells you to go, go. Don’t leave yourself behind because you’re afraid of losing someone you love. We only have one life, and we have to live it at its fullest. But of course, the decision is up to you», he said, sincerely.   
«Now, take this curiosity off of me. Who are you dating?».

 

 

 

Undecided, Yugi weighed the idea of squirm his way out of the question and leave Joey’s curiosity where it was, but his words had touched him.   
He realized behaving that way wouldn’t be fair, so he looked his friend in his eyes, hazel irises filled to the brim with curiosity.  
«Just try to… avoid overreacting, okay?».  
Still not wanting to drop the bomb instantly, Yugi decided to have his way around a little longer, just to test the waters: «First of all, it’s not a woman like you assumed», he said, though his voice sounded less firmly than he would have liked.   
The bad feeling he had that morning was coming back, greater than before.

 

 

 

«Not a… wait. Wait, you’re telling me you are…».

 

 

 

«Gay? Precisely», Yugi replied, before letting him finish the sentence.   
Surprisingly, that was one of the very few things Joey had never come to know, not only because Yugi never thought about telling him, but because his old farce put up in high school fooled the blond man more than anyone.  
«Yeah, all that shit about me having a crush on Tea, back in high school… forget it. I was just trying to hide the fact I didn’t like women. Like, at all. I was too confused back then, I didn’t know how to come to terms with… this. And I never told anyone because I was afraid, I had literally no idea on how you could react. I was too frightened at the idea of losing the only friends I had found. That was stupid», he explained, trying to be as brief as he could.   
In that period Atem helped him a lot, even if initially in a largely indirect way, making him understand there was no rule about falling in love. No rule about having fun in more intimate settings. And even if Yugi had never dared trying sex until Seto, he was still grateful to the Pharaoh for that.   
«Then again, yes. It’s a man. And… you know him. You know him very well. In fact, everyone of us know him very well».  
There, if Joey didn’t grasp _that_ clue… Yugi had no idea on how to address the issue.

 

 

 

«I know… we know him?».  
Confused, Joey tried to get his thoughts in order, thinking and re-thinking about all their friends to pull out one that suited a romantic relationship with Yugi.  
Obviously, Maik and Bakura were a no-go, one step from being officially engaged, so he immediately dismissed them.  
Duke, although he could be a candidate, not only was back in San Francisco, but didn’t seem suitable for Yugi.  
The only two eligible men left were Ryou, who however had explicitly stated he didn’t want to deal with any stable relationship before consolidating his Monster World, and…  
«Wait a minute. Wait a fucking minute, Yugi. Are you saying… Kaiba?! _That_ Kaiba?!», Joey nearly screamed, refraining himself from standing up at the last second.

 

 

 

«Would that be really such a big problem for you?».  
Yugi didn’t miss Joey hadn’t even used his first name to address him, but his surname, a thing all of them stopped doing because it felt too impersonal.

 

 

 

«Are you kidding me? Kaiba’s the last person anyone would want to have around, let alone date!».

 

 

 

«Joey, please… you’re overreacting», Yugi warned him, nervously shifting his eyes from their table to the others.   
Luckily, he hadn’t been loud enough to attract unwanted attention. For now.  
«Fine, let’s go outside. If you have to behave like a child I don’t want half of the establishment to witness a scene», he added, affronted.

 

 

 

«I’m not going anywhere until you’ve explained this to me, Yugi. What the fuck does Kaiba have to attract you? Hell, a person like you has nothing to look for in an arrogant, bastard and self-centered man like him!», Joey exclaimed, slamming his palm on the table.

 

 

 

Yugi clenched his fists, starting to get angry: «What gives you the right to talk shit abut him if you don’t even try to talk to Seto? For gods’ sake, you don’t even look at him, if not when you challenge him to a Duel! You straight up ignore his entire existence until you want to rub your damn rivalry in his face!», he replied, raising his voice without realizing it.

 

 _“Yugi…”_.

 

A couple of customers turned their heads to look at them, but the man decide to took no notice of that.  
He was too pissed off at Joey’s hurt expression upon hearing the harsh truth about him. He wasn’t even trying to be kind to Seto!

 

 

 

«Being friends with him is a thing, Yugi, but… this? He’s not a good person, what are you thinkin’?!.

 

 

 

At that point, Yugi really was angry.  
Slamming his fists on the table, he jumped up from his seat and avoided had to forcibly stop himself from screaming in the face of his best friend: «You don’t know him. You know nothing about him, you don’t even try! What makes you feel so entitled to judge, uh?! What right do you think you have?! Well, bad news for you, you don’t have any!», he shouted in the end, attracting the attention of many other heads.   
Exasperated and livid, Yugi left Joey mulling about those words, and stomped out of Burger World without looking back, ignoring every single look the other customers gave him.

 

 _“Partner, are you…”_.

 

“I knew this wasn’t a good idea. I knew it. I knew he would react like that. What made me even think about asking him?! Joey never listens before speaking his mind, for as good as a person he is”, Yugi replied, unwilling to start a conversation with the Pharaoh on the subject.   
“You were wrong, Joey never wanted to adjust a friendship with Seto. He still continues to see him as the person he was when we were all teenagers. I should have just kept my mouth shut”.

With that, Yugi closed off the Pharaoh in his Soul Room, furious with both himself and Joey.   
That argument had rose so quickly that when Yugi returned home, shoes and pants soaked because of the snow he had walked on, he could hardly believe it.   
Within five minutes he had managed to throw his best friend away and blurted out his private relationship to the only person Seto would have wanted out of the matter.   
And Yugi, for as much as it hurt thinking Seto was right about shutting off his friend, fully understood why.

 

 

 

 

 

For the rest of the day, at the cost of losing his  free weekend, Yugi locked himself in his office and didn’t move from his desk, working on ideas, changes and programming of various videogames until the sun had disappeared behind the horizon.   
However, he only discarder project after projects, never satisfied with what he was coming up.  
At 8 pm, tired of his endless mistakes caused by his irritation, Yugi turned everything off and decided to drop in the living room, perhaps to play a videogame.   
The argument with Joey buzzed in his head, more annoying than a mosquito during summer, and the look full of disappointment and displeasure in his best friend’s eyes did nothing but throw fuel on an already lit fire, feeding the anger until it became a raging inferno.  
Yugi wouldn’t have wanted to argue with Joey, and if Seto was right about something, it was wanting to wait even more time before telling him.  
And if Yugi had followed his own advice as well, wait until his issues were stabilized before addressing the subject in a calm and studied manner, nothing bad would have happened. 

 

 _“Partner? I’m sorry, it is also my fault. I should have helped you more, and…”_.

 

“No, Atem. Joey’s at fault, here. He’s the one who cannot see beyond his nose when it comes to Seto. If he doesn’t begin to think like the adult he is, we’re not going to solve anything”, Yugi replied, even before the Pharaoh could finish his sentence.   
He should have had reopened their mental link without realizing it, and didn’t bother to close it again.   
He didn’t really want to be alone with his thoughts, after all, but rage was a thing he’d never learn how to control.

 

The living room was surprisingly deserted, but Yugi didn’t get too surprised. From the kitchen, in fact, came the clanking of pots and the sizzling sound of something cooking on the stove. Grandpa had to be busy preparing dinner.  
Yugi thought of peeking into the room, at least to let his grandpa know he was no longer locked in the office in stubborn silence, but eventually changed his mind and collapsed on the couch, taking care to grab a controller before sinking into the cushions.  
Just the time to start the game, and Yugi was already controlling Talion the Ranger on screen, moving the Gravewalker around and slaughtering every single Uruk he encountered on the road across Mordor.   
Since he had already completed the whole storyline and all the DLCs, and unlocked everything that was there to be unlocked, Yugi often picked up the game only if he felt in the mood to slay virtual characters without following any rules or whatsoever.   
Especially, it was a very good and therapeutic way to let off anger.   
There was no end to the countless ways in which he could stab and slash with a sword, pierce with a shadowy arrow, explode or poison the Uruks, and when Yugi knocked down their captains, trampling them after having them recite various death threats, the reward was him feeling much better.

 

When his grandpa called him from the kitchen, Yugi had overwhelmed and chewed a whole army of those filthy orcs, making them fall like skittles thanks to the Caragor he had subjugated, but even that session of almost a hour  didn’t do nearly enough to weaken his fury.  
On the kitchen table there was one of Yugi’s favorite dishes, a huge spicy hamburger with vegetables and homemade sauce, but the man didn’t have much appetite.  
Avoiding the conversation attempts made by his grandfather, answering monosyllables when he had to, Yugi lazily nibbled at the meat on his plate, gulping down only a few bites before getting up with an annoyed snort.  
«I’m going for a walk. I’m sorry for the food, I’ll eat it tomorrow. I need to clear my mind», he said, before leaving the kitchen.

 

 

 

«What’s wrong, Yugi? You’ve been acting weird all day, since you came back from lunch».

 

 

 

Instead of answering his grandfather, and ignoring Atem’s word of admonition about that, Yugi went downstairs and put on his boots and coat, hiding his rebellious tricolor hair under a hat and hoodie, and fastened a wool scarf around his neck.  
Hoping not to be recognized by anyone, the man grabbed an old model of Duel Disk and a Deck displayed in the shop before leaving, slamming the door behind him.  
With the Duel Disk hooked to his wrist, Yugi began to wander the streets of Domino, looking for someone to challenge to a Duel despite the fact the hour wasn’t congenial, and despite the bitter cold of the winter evening had already made its way through layers of heavy clothes.   
He wanted to do something material to let off his anger, and Dueling had been his first choice.

 

Yugi had inserted in the Duel Disk apposite slot a beatdown/burn Deck he had built to provide a valid example to Duelists looking for advice, completed with brutally powerful (and brutally looking) Monster Cards, and Spell & Trap Cards able to completely block the opponent of kill them with one effect after another.   
The main inspiration for that Deck had been one of the earliest Decks used by Seto, who years earlier counted on more cruelly powerful cards and Deck-destroying combination rather than extraordinarily, well-thought-out strategies.

 

 _“What are you doing, partner?”_.

 

Yugi ignored Atem’s question and continued his strolling, soon leaving his neighborhood behind to enlarge his search radius.   
After almost an hour of wandering, his steps led him to a small park, illuminated only by a few street lamps. It was a well maintained place, very popular amongst kids, at least from what Yugi remembered when he used to pass it on the way back from school.  
Seeing it in the evening, at that late hour, that place gave off a different atmosphere, and it looked like an unnerving area to keep away from.  
The swings, mostly covered by snow, slightly swung and creaked in the light wind that had begun to blow, carrying a few snowflakes with it, and Yugi felt shivers down his spine.  
On the ground, where children and teens hadn’t played during the day, the white blanket of snow was intact.  
Seen from that angle, that place almost looked like a ghostly playground, but soon enough Yugi noticed it wasn’t empty like it seemed at first glance.

 

A group of people, at first sight comprised of men of the same age as Yugi, perhaps only a little youger, was intent on cheering for two Duelists, who were facing each other under the trees.  
Yugi recognized the familiar shapes of “Hysteric Fairy” and “Alexandrite Dragon”, just before seeing the latter clear the Field and get rid of the opponent’s Life Points, and frowned.   
After making sure not to be recognizable in any way, shape or form, Yugi approached the group with his Duel Disk raised and addressed the nearest one, the one who had just won: «Hey, you! Why don’t you Duel against me? Let’s see if you’re really that good», he provoked him.

 

 _“Partner?”_.  
Atem could not say anything else, finding himself unexpectedly locked in his Soul Room, so he had to just watch the scene, terribly worried.  
It was very rare for Yugi to behave like that.  
The last time he had gotten angry, really angry, it was years before. He had yelled at Seto in a worldwide live event, threatening him publicly. But then, Ryou’s life was on the life, put in danger because of Diva’s doing.

 

Without paying attention to the Pharaoh’s veiled warning, Yugi didn’t look away from the man he had challenged, his barely visible eyes shadowed even more by an uncommon and deep frown: «So?».

 

 

 

The man grinned, exchanging a glance with his buddies: «If you want to get your ass handed to you so much, I’m down with it», he said, activating his Duel Disk. «But if you lose, we’ll take your Deck as a price.  I don’t like arrogant people like you».

 

 

 

«I’ll show you who’s the arrogant, here», Yugi muttered to himself, insulted.   
With a fluid gesture, he activated his own Duel Disk and drew the first five cards, briefly glacing at them before smiling maliciously: «Well, the first move is for you», he conceded.

 

 

 

«I’m not going to waste it, then», the opponent replied, drawing a card from the Deck.  
He looked at it for a moment before adding it to the cards he was holding, then placed one of the Duel Disk’s blade: right after, the holographic figure of “Alexandrite Dragon” appeared on the Field, growling menacingly.   
«I Set two cards and end my turn. Let’s see what you can do».

 

 

 

Yugi snorted, not at all impressed by that weak strategy; it was clearly a beginner’s game, no doubt.   
«All right, I draw», he announced, keeping the word.  
He looked at the drawn card and, grinning, inserted four cards in the Spell & Trap Cards slots of the Duel Disk: «I Set three cards and activate “Dark Room of Nightmare”. With this card, every time you take effect damage, you take 300 additional damage», he explained, without even looking at the Continuous Spell Card on the Field.   
He had never played it before, as he had never played any of the cards in that Deck, but he knew them well enough.  
«And now, I Summon “Gene-Warped Warwolf” in Attack Position!», he exclaimed, placing the card on the blade of the Duel Disk.  
The monster materialized on the Field facing the opponent’s Dragon, in par with its ATK, but Yugi hadn’t finished.  
Again, he inserted a Spell Card into the appropriate slot, remaining with an empty hand: «I equip “Gene-Warped Warwolf” with “Axe of Despair”, so my monster gains 1000 attack points. Go, destroy his dragon!».   
Faithful to his controller’s order, “Gene-Warped Warwolf” assaulted “Alexandrite Dragon”, annihilating it with a single blow and stealing 1000 Life Points from his opponent.   
«I end my turn. Your move».

 

 

 

«You like to play rough, uh? Fine, you’ll have a rough game then», he growled at Yugi, drawing a card from the Deck.  
«I activate “De-Spell”. I’m afraid you’ll have to say goodbye to you axe. Then, I activate the Trap Card “Birthright”, which allows me to bring back “Alexandrite Dragon” on the Field, in Attack Position», the man said, an expression, to say the least, triumphant as he saw the targeted card dissolve in hundreds of polygons.   
«And then, I activate “Jar of Greed”, which allows me to draw one card. Get ready, because you wolf is about to become a meek dog!».

 

 

 

«Not so fast! I activate the Quick-Play Spell “Chain Strike”! Since I activated it as Chain Link 3, this card will deal you 1200 points of damage, and thanks to “Dark Room of Nightmare” you’ll get 300 more», Yugi intervened, before losing the chance to properly use his card.

 

 

 

«How dare you, you fucking bastard! I’ll show you who’s best!».  
Furious, his Life Points reduced to 1500, the man inserted a second card in the Duel Disk: «I equip “Alexandrite Dragon” with “United we Stand”, which increases its ATK by 800. And with the Normal Summon of “Luster Dragon”, its attack points raise to 3600! Let’s see if your Life Points can resist this. “Alexandrite Dragon”, attack his monster!»

 

 

 

Yugi didn’t let the two dragons on the Field intimidate him, nor he stumbled as the target of “Alexandrite Dragon”’s attack.   
On the contrary, when the dragon approached his monster with his jaw wide open, Yugi flipped face-up his last two cards: «You should rethink your strategy. “Magic Cylinder” negate your attack, and you take damage equal to your monster’s attack points. But that’s not all. I also activate “Counterforce “, which inflict additional damage to you, and don’t forget “Dark Room of Nightmare” is still on the Field. You lost!», he declared, as the violent beam of light generated by the two Trap Cards struck his opponent, in a demonstration of exaggerated and, Yugi knew it, not necessary display of raw power.

«Who’s next?», he said provocatively, addressing the rest of the group. «Come on, I have all night!».

 

 

 

«I’m next».  
After a long minute of silence, one of the men stepped forward; he couldn’t be older than twenty.   
His Duel Disk, a pretty worn out one, was already active and ready for the Duel.

 

 

 

Three Duels later, Yugi’s strategies were becoming increasingly predictable and more brutal.   
As he fought, the Duels kept reminding him of the argument with Joey, and during the fourth Duel he had half the monsters of his Deck destroyed before he could snatch a victory, his Life Points reduced to the limit.  
Attack after attack, Yugi’s mind distracted itself from what he was doing, blinded by anger and disappointment, a feeling more than intensified by the Duel style he had chosen to use.  
The fifth Duel didn’t end in his defeat just by a move, and Yugi launched himself against his opponent with more fury, determined to destroy the whole group, determined to get rid of his rancor with every monster destroyed, with every single point of damage inflicted.   
He threw his most vicious monsters at his opponents, and used the most devastating Spells and Traps his Deck had to offer, but when the seventh challenger stepped forward, taking advantage of his growing desperation, the ferocity of Yugi’s cards was not enough to save him from his hazy judgment.

 

His Life Points hit zero Duel after Duel, wiped out by monsters and effects, and Yugi hadn’t been able to do anything to prevent it.  
Engulfed by frustration, he was an easy target for that inexperienced group of Duelists, and they continued to challenge him just for the fun of it. After realizing they had created a weak Duelist for their weak strategies, the men of the group kept on destroying him, and eventually the King of Games threw his patience in the wind.  
Enraged, more with himself than with Joey, seeing red because of blind frenzy, Yugi threw away his Duel Disk in the middle of the umpteenth Duel and snapped against his opponent, attacking him so unexpectedly he couldn’t dodge the punch that came to meet his face.

 

_“YUGI! Yugi, what are you doing? **YUGI**!”._

Deaf to Atem’s calls, and crazed because of an anger that didn’t even seem his own, Yugi continued to rage on the younger man in front of him, until his companions dragged him away, grabbing the King of Games by the arms to prevent him from striking again.  
«Get off me! Get your fucking hands off me!», he screamed, wriggling in the grip of the men who were trying to held him still, suddenly terrified by the situation.  
«Get you hands off me now, or I’ll fuck you up too!».  
His threat, however, fell on deaf ears when one of them silenced him with a blow to his stomach, causing Yugi to bend forward in pain.  
«Nice behavior, from people who take advantage of distracted players», he spat out, with a sickly laugh.

 

 _“Yugi…”_.  
Horrified, Atem saw himself in his partner, as he was when his humanity was still clouded by hundreds of years spent in the Puzzle’s pitch black darkness and shadows. He saw the eyes, he heard the laugh of the wild spirit he was back then, and backed down in fear.  
_“Yugi, you are not like this… please, you are scaring me”_ , he tried to say, but without result.   
Yugi ignored him, just like the Pharaoh had ignored Yugi when the young teen tried to make reason with him.

 

 

 

«What the fuck do you think you’re doing, uh?! Who do you think you are, to give us morality lessons! You came here, challenged us, and when you started losing because _you_ couldn’t keep your shit together, you started to hit!», the man who had hit him shouted at Yugi, ready to punch him again.

 

 

 

One of his friends, however, stopped him by taking his wrist: «He’s right, for a little part, we’ve overdid it. but you – he turned to Yugi – don’t think to can be excused. You should be grateful we’re not criminals – he glared at the other man, with his hand still closed in a fist – otherwise this wouldn’t have ended well for you. Get lost, asshole».

 

 

 

«As if I’m in need of your forgiveness», Yugi challenged him, still out of breath because of the punch he had received but not less restless.  
However, as soon as the two men let him go, the King of Games flew out of the park, failing to notice how shaky his hands and legs were.  
Time to get home, running along icy and slippery streets and tripping more than once, Yugi slammed the door behind him and panicked upon feeling wet trails on his face, tears that freeze in the cold air the man didn’t notice were spilling.

 

When Yugi managed to take off his coat and collapsed on his mattress, his wide eyes were fixed on the skylight, motionless, intent on watching the night sky barely visible beyond endless clouds.  
Frustrated, exasperated by his inability to get a hold of himself and distressed by his own careless actions, Yugi stifled a cry in his pillow, unable to bring his inexplicable fury to a halt.  
Soon enough, his anger outburst turned into bitter tears, fueled by the terrible confusion swirling in his head and by the guilt that was gripping him, enveloping and strangling him like a hungry snake.  
And then, the terror that unconsciously had assailed him in felling helpless, immobilized by those men, poured over him all at once, adding to the dull pain his tension was causing in his chest.

 

«It’s all you fault… it’s all you fucking fault», he whispered, once he had calmed down enough to take long breaths instead of broken sigh, the poison of anger still audible in his voice.

 

 _“Partner…?”_.  
Worried and scared by Yugi’s actions, Atem finally managed to find a weak spot in the walls he had built up and appeared at his side, although his spirit form was more fluctuating and unstable than usual.  
His translucent body, clad in Ancient Egyptian clothing, flickered in the dark room, unable to retain his solid-like appearance.

 

“Why am I feeling so bad? Why thinking about how Joey cannot understand is making me feel so miserable and angry? What is happening to me?».

 

Softening his expression, the Pharaoh approached Yugi and raised a hand upon his face, as if to wipe away the tears that had escaped his eyes at those words.  
He couldn’t touch him, let alone dry his tears, but that was a kind gesture he knew was going to be acknowledged.  
_“You sought you best friend’s support, and in return you only received harsh words and misunderstanding. You have every right to feel sad, and angry, and infuriated. It always hurts when a person you know you can count on the most turns his back to you. And you, now more than ever, you need people who do not turn their back to you”.  
_ That, obviously, wasn’t said to justify Yugi’s violent attitude.

 

Yugi shook his head, clutching his arms around his body.  
The anger had retreated just enough to feel more like an intruder of his mind, rather than an invited guest, but the storm of confused thoughts and guilt went on undeterred in his mind: “Why can’t he open his eyes? He doesn’t want to see beyond himself, and I can’t understand why!”.  
Demoralized, ditching every attempt to calm down, Yugi hid his head behind his hands: “Why doesn’t he want to help me?!”.

 

 _“Oh, Yugi”_.  
Gently, Atem persuaded Yugi to lower his hands and show his face: _“I’m sure he wants to help you, but I also feel like he doesn’t realize how much he is mistaken. With no doubts, Joey did wrong. He hurt you, and he shouldn’t have done it. Not now. Not because of that. But –_ his expression hardened – _you have no excuse for what you did today, partner. I know you felt humiliated, and I know Joey’s behavior and words damaged you. I know you are angry, and I know what being angry and confused feels like. But, as you taught me, rely on violence is not a good response to it. Hurting another being, human or not, is never a solution or a way to express your frustration. You should understand that more than anyone”_ , he said, scolding him.   
He didn’t want to turn the knife into an open wound, and he felt guilty as a sudden wave of remorse and sorrow came from Yugi, but that kind of behavior was scary. Especially if involved a person so kind and so against every form of violence.

It wasn’t difficult to understand the reason behind such an exaggerated reaction, because Atem knew and felt the pain and repressed resentment Yugi was still holding back, but understanding wasn’t an equivalent of indulgence.   
_“I know you felt cornered, Yugi. And I’m not condemning your rightful anger. But there are other ways to deal with it, and shutting yourself out is not one of them. Relying on physical violence is not one of them. You don’t have to throw away the argument you had and go on, but you should try to clarify these things with a calmer attitude”_.

 

“I can’t. it’s stupid, I know, but every single time I think about his words, I get even more angry. If that’s his opinion, why lie for all these years? Why not tell me to stop inviting Seto, when I tried to involve him in our hang outs? Joey behaved like a hypocrite, and that’s not something I could have ever expected, coming from him”, Yugi replied, after a few minutes of silence.   
Atem’s reprimand was well addressed, after all, and his admonishments hit Yugi hard.  
Then he sighed, getting up to change his clothes in favor of his pajamas, and slipped under the coves.  
Maybe, with a little luck, he would manage to get rid of anger and frustration the following day, in front of his favorite projects and busy with work.

 

 

 

 

 

«Yugi, finally! My brother and I were worried about you».  
Mokuba, who was busy discussing with a KaibaCorp. employee, spotted Yugi in the entrance hall and approached him, with a raised eyebrow: «What happened? You’re two hours late, and Seto’s alarmed. Didn’t you read his texts?».

 

 

 

«No, I…».  
Yugi sighed, shaking his head; not only that morning he had told his alarm to fuck off, but he had almost decided not to show up at all and continue his progress from home. He just wanted a distraction, after all, and working at home made no difference for him.  
In fact, Yugi hadn’t even looked at his phone, ignoring the sporadic buzz and the intermittent light indicating new messages waiting to be read.  
«I’m sorry. Yesterday’s been a really bad day, and today could be the same. I didn’t mean to avoid telling you», he replied, after thinking about a good answer.  
In the end, Atem had convinced Yugi to put aside his irritation, an annoying itch bothering his soul instead of his skin, and the man called Roland to get a lift.  
«Roland is really kind, I didn’t expect him to come so quickly when I called him», he added, following Mokuba across the lobby, towards the elevators.

 

 

 

«Seto didn’t even stutter in ordering him to come get you. He was very relieved upon hearing from you», Mokuba sad, barely concealing a warning tone in his voice.

 

 

 

«I didn’t mean to act like this. I’ll talk to him later, I’m not going to interrupt his work now. Can you tell him I’m here, and perfectly safe?».

 

 

 

«Why don’t _you_ do it? He won’t mind an interruption, if it is from you».

 

 

 

Another sigh: «Later, Mokuba. Please, let him know I’m here. I’ll be in my office the whole day, he doesn’t need to be anxious about me».  
then, leaving the youngest Kaiba in the hallways, Yugi entered his office and closed the door, dropping his coat and scarf on the couch in the room before sitting down at his desk, turning on the computer holographic screen and getting to work.  
By January, the KaibaCorp. would finally and officially launch his huge open-world videogame, the release date slipped due to last-minute technical complications (long story short, a brave hacker and a furious Seto), but Yugi’s job had no more doing in that.  
His job was finished as soon as the game completely passed to Seto’s beta testers, so Yugi immediately turned back his attention to his own games, especially focusing on the one he had just selected on the screen.  
Fluctuating rigidly, like a solid item, the holographic screen showed incomprehensible patterns and charts, tables and numbers, a true story of his creation, in Yugi’s eyes.  
On another one, the 3D model of two main characters was spinning, showing off and stopping its motion at the slightest touch of Yugi, who was examining the details.  
Completed than analysis, Yugi returned to the screen filled with mathematical symbols and opened a black one, focusing on the beginnings of programming and on the basic code for the game.  
«This is going to be a long day», he said to himself, eyeing with a puff the dozens of parameters to adjust, modify and replace with new ones.

 

Three hours later, Atem reminded Yugi to eat something, but the man still felt his stomach tied in a knot from the night before.  
The argument with Joey haunted his thoughts during the night, reappearing in his dreams, his best friend’s words turned into accusations, distorted and amplified to hurt his ears and soul, although it wasn’t real.  
Yugi had woken up in the middle of the night, his heart racing and covered in cold sweat, his hand clenched so tight his nails dug into the palms’ soft skin.  
For a long hour before going back to sleep, Yugi stayed motionless on the bed, staring at the clouds outside.  
In the end, Yugi had come to the conclusion Atem was totally right, both about Joey’s willingness and inability to help, and about the reason he had caused in him a pain so sharp. Yugi’s confidence in his friend was so deep and irrefutable it had turned into friendly fire, striking a vulnerable soul, and left him with nothing but an husk filled with rage.

 

 _“Yugi? Do not think about it”_ , Atem interjected, appearing through those dark thoughts. _“If you dwell on them, things do not improve”_.

 

With a tired sigh, Yugi got rid of two screens that were no longer useful and opened an empty one, starting a new process to scan the last codes he had entered in the game’s system: “ I know, but I can’t help it. This whole situation is absurd, and yet the only thing I can think of doing about it is get angry. At him, at me, it doesn’t matter», he replied.

 

 _“At least try to eat something. You should not skip meals, it is already bad you have not eaten yesterday”_.

 

“I’m not… what’s going on?», he asked, interrupting himself in mid-sentence and asking the question aloud. From the intercom on the deck, his personal assistant’s voice was trying to get his attention.

 

 

 

«Mr. Muto, someone is insisting on meeting you. What should I… hey! You cannot enter without permission!».

 

 

 

The warning reprimand of the woman was abruptly interrupted by a sharp  shrill from the intercom, meaning she had closed the communication, and a few moments later the door of Yugi’s office swung open unceremoniously.  
Seeing who was on the door, Yugi froze, wide-open eyes staring at a familiar man characterized by unruly blond hair.  
«Joey», he addressed him, more impersonally than he wanted to. «You shouldn’t be in here».

 

 

 

«I don’t care. I tried to call you, but you blocked my number».  
Stubborn, Joey stepped in the office and shut the door behind him, ignoring Yugi’s silent warning clear in his eyes.  
He knew the security agents were on their way, and he knew Yugi could call them in at any given time, so he didn’t want to waste the opportunity.  
«I want to talk with you. You made a scene, yesterday, and I want some clarifications».

 

 

 

« _I_ made a scene?».  
Yugi took a sharp breath, his voice high pitched for a moment, and he felt the muscles in his arm contract as he replied to those words: «If I’m not mistaken, _you_ were the one that started throwing shade on a person you know nothing about», he said, steadily looking at him.

 

 

 

Joey shivered in feeling those eyes on his, so stone-hard and cold, two amethyst and ruby lights no longer welcoming, but dangerous: «You’re not thinking logically. This thing… this isn’t a healthy relationship. You can tell me, is he blackmailing you in some way? Is he forcing you to stay with him so you can keep this job? Yug, you can’t really want be involved with him!», he said, slowly approaching.  
What he didn’t expect, however, was to see Yugi’s eyes flare up, and he ducked just in time to avoid a heavy item his friend threw at him from his deck.

 

 

 

«HOW DARE YOU DEPRECIATE ME LIKE THAT?! Who the fuck do you think you are, talking like that about Seto and me?!», he shouted, hands still shaking as he searched for something else to throw.  
His fingers soon found a digital notepad, and Yugi threw it a the blond, missing him only for a few inches.  
The item shattered against the wall, scattering shards of glass and metal fragments and components everywhere, but the King of Games couldn’t care less.  
«You know fucking nothing about us! You don’t know him, and you fucking _don’t know me_! How dare you, you fucking son of a bitch?!», he yelled at him, his hands sliding on the desk to find something else to throw, anything else.

 

 

 

In that instant, alerted by the secretary and attracted by noise, Seto opened the office door and grabbed Yugi’s phone, just before watching it  break on the ground.  
«What’s going on here?!», he thundered, glancing furiously at Joey and worryingly at Yugi.  
«What are you doing here, Wheeler? No one gave you a permit to enter this office».

 

 

 

«Fuck you, moneybags. What, you’re telling me you want to keep Yugi away from us? Congratulations, Kaiba, another point in your favor!», Joey ranted against the CEO, turning his back on Yugi. «What’ll you do next? Forbid him to leave your house? Tell him he can’t talk to anyone, save from your nonexistent family? Why don’t you waste your time and money over someone who you can actually control, uh?».

 

 

 

«Enough».

Before Seto could counter to that insolence, his face red in ire, Yugi’s voice echoed in the very brief silence that had fallen into the room, so stiff and icy the two intruders shuddered.  
«Get out of my fucking sight, Joey. If you think this about me and about Seto, you can leave now».

 

 

 

«Yug, I don’t th…».

 

 

 

«Are you even listening to me? Get. Out. Of. My. Fucking. Sight. SECURITY!».  
Moments later, two security officers (the same alerted by Yugi’s personal assistant) barged into the room and grabbed Joey by his arms. They lead him out, deaf to his protests, and dragged away with him his invectives against Seto.  
The latter, perplexed, tried to get closer to Yugi, if anything to give him back his phone, but the look the CEO received petrified him on the spot.  
«Get lost, you too. I don’t want to deal with anyone. Leave me alone».

 

 

 

«But, Yugi…».

 

 

 

«What, have you gone deaf? Get. Lost», he said, turning away from the CEO, still stranding by the door.

 

 

 

«Why are you doing this? What’s happening? Talk to me, please», Seto said, trying to take a step forward.  
Ha had never seen Yugi so angry, not on that level, and even though he was mad at Wheeler and confused by his involvement, he was more afraid of seeing him go away.

 

 

 

«Should I make things more clear? GO AWAY!», Yugi yelled, shoving him away, out the door, before slamming it in his face.  
Seto’s wounded expression didn’t fail to hit him like a sharp sword, more painful than a bullet, but he didn’t care at the moment.  
After making sure the door would not reopen, Yugi strode across the room and returned to his desk: «And don’t you dare let anyone in!» he roared in the intercom, startling his secretary.  
Then, out of breath and with a beginning of a headache, Yugi collapsed in his chair and hid his face in both hands, if only to avoid looking at the disaster he had caused in the office.  
Not to mention the one he had caused regarding the two people he cared about the most, save his grandfather.

 

 _“Partner?”_.

 

“No, go away. I don’t want to hear anyone. I don’t… GO AWAY!”.  
In spite of his hesitation, Yugi’s voice echoed in the Pharaoh’s Soul Room, and Atem reluctantly locked himself in it, leaving his host alone with his thoughts.   
A few seconds later, Yugi had raised his legs to his chest and hid his face between his knees, demoralized, but didn’t bathe in sorrow for too long.  
The more he kept his eyes closed, the more Seto’s tormented ones ripped his breath away, clawing at his guilt.   
The more he tried to ward off the uneasiness Joey’s speech had caused him to feel, the more his words became sharp, tearing his spirit as if they were the fangs of his faithful Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

 

In the end, frustrated once again by his inability to come to terms with his actions, Yugi threw himself in his work, surrounding his frame with holographic screens, numbers and concepts, hoping that technology could erase his mistakes at least for a few hours.

 

 

 

 

 

At 6 pm, marked by large digital numbers on the screens, Yugi deactivated the holograms and turned off the computer.  
The clicking sound of the general switch echoed in the office’s silence, as well as the few notes Yugi had taken made a deafening noise when he stored the sheets in his backpack.  
When Yugi went to grab his phone and tell his grandfather he was about to come home, however, he remembered Seto hadn’t been able to give it back to him.  
Sighing, and knowing he would have to talk to Seto anyway before heading home, Yugi put his backpack on his shoulders and left the office, ignoring the chaos he had left in the room.

 

First of all, Yugi wanted to apologize to Seto for getting him involved. He’d thought about it the whole time, but didn’t know how to deal with the problem.   
Seto could be very sensitive about that kind of fight, and the man didn’t know what to expect.   
What he had expected, however, was Mokuba’s figure standing in the hallway, only two doors away from Seto’s office.  
Behind him, Seto’s secretary’s desk was empty, so he must have sent her home before time.

 

 

 

«Don’t you dare yell at my brother like that again».  
Without even giving Yugi time to approach, Mokuba folded his arms and glared at the King of Games with dark blue eyes.  
When he heard Yugi scream, Mokuba had hurried to see what was happening, and after seeing his brother leave Yugi’s office with an anguished frown on his face he had tried to steal some kind of explanation from him. But, Seto locked himself in his office, not even trying to talk to Mokuba.   
His eyes, Mokuba hadn’t missed it, were dull, filled with fear and sadness. The oldest Kaiba seemed on the verge of a hysterical crisis, if not tears.

 

 

 

«Mokuba, I…».

 

 

 

«No, Yugi», he interrupted him, harsh as he had never been to him.  
Yugi, like the Pharaoh, had always been willing to help him, both him and his brother, and in many situation the combined help of those two pulled them out of trouble. But there was nothing justifying him for making his brother suffer.   
Again.  
«I don’t care how angry you are at other people. I don’t care about what Joey did, or said, to you. Seto wanted to help, not corner you, I’m sure about that. If you snap on him again because of someone else’s fault, I’ll make you pay. You can’t even imagine how difficult has been for my brother, getting close to you, thrusting you enough to love you. You can say all you want you know him, but I know him more. I swear, if you make him suffer again on a whim, past incidents or not, you and I will have serious problems about it. have I been clear enough?».

 

 

 

Yugi avoided replying to Mokuba’s words. The young Kaiba was right in his worry for Seto, and the man knew him well enough to not underestimate the bond uniting the brothers.  
Seto had protected Mokuba for so long, his little brother was ready to do everything to make sure the man misunderstood and overshadowed by the world no longer suffered.   
«I understand», Yugi finally said, looking down. «I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to. I just… yeah, no excuses – he defensively raised his hands when Mokuba’s eyes pierced him – I shouldn’t have yelled at him for no reason, period».

 

 

 

«Seto is in his office».  
Mokuba pointed to the corresponding door with a nod of his head, his arms still so tightly stuck on his chest they seemed robotic: «He didn’t come out from there, and didn’t even let me in. you’d better apologize to him, Yugi. _Now_ ».  
That said, Mokuba moved away and glared at Yugi as he passed him: «Don’t screw up».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, let's get to the point.   
> Yugi's behavior is not that crazy. Why that? Because I modeled this chapter on a very bad experience I myself had with a friend of mine. Out of the blue, he decided to leave me with a letter (yeah, a letter), and I was just... devastated. I felt angry and useless for a long while, before getting a hold of myself. So, Yugi's reaction is mainly based on that, if you were wondering why he overreacts so badly.   
> (We got back to being friends, at least, so have hope for the next chapter ;) )
> 
> Also, sorry if I screwed something up during the Duel, I never use beatdown/burn Decks myself, and Chain Strike is a big enemy of mine. So, if I wrote nonsense about it, feel free to correct me. 
> 
> I don't know if the next chapter will come out on 23/12/2018. I have two more fics ready for Christmas, so I might just post everything on that day. But who knows, stay tuned!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, don't forget to leave kudos if you're liking the story, and feel free to comment and criticize my writing, at least until you keep everything polite and not offensive.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> «I want to talk with you», Joey insisted.  
> [...]  
> Yugi printed a receipt to another customer before replying, without even looking at him: «We have nothing to talk about».  
> [...]  
> «Be your own person, Yugi. Keep your power to yourself, and use it to be with your family and friends, to be the person you want to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really really really sorry for the delay.   
> This chapter was supposed to come out on Christmas, and unfortunately was even supposed to actually have a Christmas theme to it.   
> In fact, it was going to be a super long one as... I don't know, kind of a Christmas gift for everyone still reading it. The thing is  
> I. Lost. Almost. Every. Single. Page. Of. This.   
> I don't know why, but y computer decided to play tricks on me, and I lost an entire part of this chapter. That means, I had to rewrite 10 pages of it, and I eventually got sick of trying to remember everything I wrote before.   
> I'm sorry if this seems bad, it probably is, and I'll make it up with the next one.   
> And the next one, even though it will come out definitely after the holidays, it's going to be the Christmas part. 
> 
> Sorry for the long rant, but I' pretty pissed off at my computer right now, and I needed to get this off my chest.  
> Enjoy!

«…Seto?».  
Hesitant, Yugi opened the door of his office and peeked inside, before setting foot in it. The room was silent, and the bluish glow of the holographic screens spread across all surfaces with an almost unhealthy look, stifling the low intensity general lights.   
Seto was busy trying out a new build of a videogame, then.   
Or at least, that’s what Yugi thought at first glance.   
Instead, Seto was laying on his white leather couch, his hands empty of a cell-phone, tablet or any other of his usual devices. He was staring straight ahead, with his arms tightly crossed over his chest.  
Even his flowy white coat had been put aside, abandoned on the office chair.   
Upon realizing Seto’s state of mind, Yugi stopped halfway between the door and the couch, stepping back a bit and alarmed, unable to deny his guilt.   
Seto’s expression, even if drowned by blue light, was clearly distraught, his fierce blue eyes dark and full of fear and rejection. And his face…  
«Seto…? No, don’t… please, don’t be like that», Yugi said, cautiously approaching.

 

 

Ignoring the unpleasant sensation of tears running down his cheeks, Seto shook his head disapprovingly and refused to meet Yugi’s eyes, stubbornly continuing to stare at the empty wall in front of him: «What do you want? Do you want to officially break up? Well, try to be quick, if you have to», he said.   
To his surprise, Seto’s voice broke on the last sentence, something that had never and should have never happened to the CEO of the most important company in the world, something Seto would never have though would ever occur out of sheer disappointment.   
Instead, dejection had decided to get the better of him, and reduced his voice to a mere, barely discernible and cracked whisper.   
«I certainly do not intend to waste the time of the world-wide famous and loved King of Games, after all», he added, his hands trembling as much as his voice.

 

When and after Yugi had yelled at him, screamed those harsh words and closed the door on his face, Seto had been overwhelmed by a sudden wave of terror and disillusionment.   
A cascade of conflicting emotions he had never faced all at once, confused and tangled and so jostled in his mind to seem like a skein of thread in the merciless claws of a cat.  
Excluding Mokuba, Seto had never been tied to anyone, he had never approached anyone except for an occasional business chat or the consolidation of a business friendship.  
After Gozaburo, after having ended up in the hands of the most abusive and terrible foster father he could have ever chosen for them, Seto had no longer trusted anyone who wasn’t himself.   
He had never opened up with anyone else, not even with Mokuba to a full degree.  
He was afraid.  
Afraid of being abandoned again.  
Afraid of having to endure yet another attempt to put together the fragments of a broken heart.   
Afraid to confide in someone, and afterwards being left alone to brood about his mistaked.

 

With Yugi, with that crazy haired Duelist that helped him so much, he thought he had finally reached something different, a goal that, although he would have never admitted it even to himself, in all his years of life he had never managed to reach.   
First, he had let the young man melt the ice wrapped around his heart and soul. Second, he had allowed the charming Pharaoh to breach the defenses so painfully raised over years of pain.  
Seto had really though he could be finally free from the prison he had been locked in, voluntarily or not, ever since he was just a kid full of shattered hopes.   
What he had never imagined, it was being rejected by that same person who had done so much to drag him out of those shadows.

 

 

 

The realization of the meaning behind those words struck Yugi, hurting him more that a punch right in the stomach.   
Seto though he wanted to break up. That he wanted to leave.   
And Yugi couldn’t blame him for that.  
Seto was wary of everyone, he had a lot of trouble opening up with Yugi. It wasn’t much of a surprise to face that quick and extreme reaction.   
He was like that. If something wasn’t working out, Seto would replace it. No time to fix it.   
More than that, the CEO had done everything in his power to stop suffering, and Yugi… Yugi had pushed him away without thinking of the consequences, without remembering, no, without caring about how fragile Seto’s confidence was in that matter, despite how he liked to always be above all else.

 

Cautious, Yugi approached with small steps until he could kneel in front of the couch, ignoring his knees’ protests about the cold flooring, and held out a hand: «I didn’t mean this, Seto. I… - a sigh – Seto, I don’t want to leave you», he told him. «I’m not going to break up with you».  
When Seto failed to react, Yugi stretched his arm and fingers to caress his face, drying the tears still falling from bloodshot eyes: «I’m sorry. I was wrong, I made you believe that… I’m sorry», he repeated, not knowing how to convince him and afraid of worsening the situation.  
«I have nothing against you», he reiterated. «I don’t want to break up, please…»

 

 

 

Slowly, Seto untangled his arms and turned his head towards Yugi, swatting away his hand and meeting his big eyes full of concern and resentment: «Why?».  
He wasn’t convinced yet.   
Yugi could still get up and leave, even in that right moment. He didn’t need to say or do anything, other that exit that office, to make the CEO’s heart and soul sink again in the familiar pit of despair and blackness he was used to.   
Nothing assured him he would stay. Not for a day. Not for a lifetime. Not even for a small amount of seconds.   
«You know, if you want someone able to treat you better, I can understand. I’m not that good of a… boyfriend, after all», he said, his voice cracking up on that word.

 

 

 

«What…? No, Seto!», Yugi exclaimed, shaking vigorously his head and seizing Seto’s hand, squeezing them in his own despite his struggle: «Don’t say that! Don’t you ever say that again, I don’t want someone other than you! I don’t… please, don’t think that».  
Thinking more and more about a way to convince him, Yugi pulled himself up and sat on the edge of the couch, facing Seto: «I didn’t do that because I am angry at you. I should have been more careful, I’m sorry. I was angry, too much to think clearly, but I never, _never_ wanted to push you away!», he said, emphasizing the last sentence.  
He didn’t want t start an argument with the CEO, especially not then.   
«Please, Seto. You have to understand. I don’t want anyone else but you at my side. You are the only one able to understand me, to make me feel good, to make me feel myself. Seto, you… you are the only one able to make me feel loved», he added, pushing back frustrated tears. «Please, don’t make me think I’ve ruined everything. I fucked up, and I know, but I _don’t want to leave you_!».

 

 

 

Just a little heartened and convinced, Seto was still undecided about what to believe and untangled his hands from Yugi’s firm grip, looking away from his crimson amethyst eyes: «So, why? Why do you keep moving away from me? Why do you keep avoiding talking to me?».  
He didn’t want to day those words in that tone, but Seto couldn’t hold back the disappointed and pained note contaminating his voice.   
For as much as he loved Yugi, he was tired of being put aside by him. Tired to never be a person to rely on.   
He wanted to help him, more than once, but he couldn’t, and Yugi’s constant refusal to listen only increased his frustration.   
«Why don’t you want me?».

 

 

 

«I want you!».  
Frightened by the turn the conversation was taking, Yugi scouted his mind for a way to fix it, and shook his head so fast his gold locks  went in all directions: «I’m not avoiding you because I don’t want to be helped, Seto. I… it’s just…».

 

 

 

«What? Do you think I’m weak? Do you think not talking about what’s hurting you, you’ll save me from the trouble of pushing back my own resentments?».

 

 

 

«No! absolutely not!».  
Yugi stretched his hands again, but Seto pulled his own away: «I never thought this!», he almost cried, distressed. «I would like to open up with you, Seto! I want to! But…».

 

 

 

«But…?».

 

 

 

Yugi bowed his head, guilty: «There are things I cannot tell you. Problems I have to deal with alone, or with Atem. I cannot always count on you intervention, Seto. I know it hurts you, even if you don’t want to admit it, and knowing that hurts me even more. The thing is… you _have_ to understand not everything can be shared immediately. Not even with the person you love. You understood this, months ago. Why can’t you do it now?».  
Seto stiffened at that, and Yugi realized he had moved a non-existent fault on him.   
Feeling like an idiot, he cursed himself and curved his lips in a sad smile: «I’m really hopeless at making peace, am I? Look at me, the supposedly most altruistic and kind person in the world, and I don’t even know how to fix an argument», he laughed, bitterly.   
Devastated and deprived of hope, Yugi started to get up and leave, defeated by the argument he didn’t want to happen.  
Seto, however, closed his long fingers around his wrist and pulled him back on couch, right in a hug.  
«What… Seto?».

 

 

 

«Don’t», he said in a low voice, holding Yugi to himself. «Don’t leave».  
Yugi was right.   
Why Seto had convinced himself to wait, when Yugi shut off everyone, but couldn’t accept the fact he didn’t want to put everything at his disposal?  
He knew why. He found the answer while looking straight in those deep, scared eyes.   
Seto was so used to knowing everything, to assimilate every single bit and detail of knowledge about events, people and things, that when faced to a reality like that he refused to understand.   
He was so selfish, he had become blind to other people’s space and time necessities.   
Yugi was absolutely right, even if he didn’t mean to.   
«How could I blame you, if I for myself have never told you all the details of my life?», he added, breaking the embrace.   
«Don’t go away. I don’t want you to go away», he admitted, shivering at the though.

 

 

 

Yugi shook his head, nodding a smile, and leaned forward to leave a delicate kiss of Seto’s lips: «I’m not going away. Never», he replied.  
Then, he sighed: «I’m really sorry about… well, that. I’m sorry about Joey, too», he added, taking the risk.

 

 

 

Right.  
In some way, Wheeler seemed to be quite aware of their relationship, but Seto thought about everything but that in those hours. The fear of losing yet another loved one had been too much of an issue to handle.   
«What have you done?», he asked.  
He wasn’t angry, he had no right to be, but still…

 

 

 

«I needed some advice», Yugi quickly answered, noticing the twitching eyebrow above Seto’s eye. «From someone who wasn’t my grandfather and from someone who was not… well, you or Mokuba. Joey is my best friend, so I figured…».  
With a sigh, Yugi paused.   
The thought of Joey still unnerved him, but the exploding rage was finally evaporation. Moreover, the risk of losing Seto to a fit was a more than encouraging  incentive to maintain a better self-control.   
«I didn’t think he would react like that. I’m sorry, if I had known…».

 

 

 

Seto shook his head, reassuringly: «What’s done is done. Don’t apologize for something that’s not you fault. You thought you could rely on him, and Wheeler disappointed you. Don’t blame yourself, Yugi», he replied.  
Of course, the idea Wheeler knew about the was certainly not easy to bear, and somewhat unsettling, but even Seto couldn’t deny Yugi’s strong bond of friendship with that idiot.   
Plus, sooner or later he would have told him anyway, Seto had already taken that issue into account.

 

 

 

«We decided to wait. To choose together the right moment to say it», Yugi said, still not convinced. «I was wrong».

 

 

 

«You did what you thought was right for you. You needed help, you looked for it. It’s been a long time since the last time you did that».

 

 

 

Yugi had to admit Seto was right, but he didn’t like the situation anyway.  
That is, because if Joey hadn’t reacted that badly, they wouldn’t have taken long to reach a compromise to convince him to keep his mouth shut about them.   
Instead, with such a messy problem in the way, Yugi had no idea what Joey could do.   
And he wasn’t able to ask him, because Yugi was sure to receive nothing but harsh words against a decision that for Joey was nothing short than crazy and wrong.   
«I always ruin everything. I should have let Atem talk in my place».

 

 

 

«Atem would have reacted in the same way as you did, Yugi».

 

 

 

Taken aback, Yugi focused his attention on crystalline, bright blue eyes: «What… Seth?».

 

 

 

The High Priest scoffed: «Do you really think Atem would have reacted differently? You know him very well, Yugi. You know the inner workings of his mind, and you can comprehend him more than anyone else could even hope to. Do not try and tell me he would have behaved better, because it is not true», he continued, ignoring Yugi’s surprise upon seeing him.

 

 

 

«Atem tried to stop me», Yugi replied, but right when he was ready to give Atem control of his body, a sudden wave coming from the protagonist of that conversation suddenly hit and drowned him, making Yugi flinch.   
“Atem…?”.

 

“ _Seth is right_ ”, he replied. “ _Letting me argue with him… I probably would not have been as diplomatic as I tried to be from the Puzzle_ ”.

 

“Come on, you’re not being serious. W-why didn’t you stop me, then? You weren’t like that, before. You used to jump right in action, no matter what”.

 

 _“I did not have a great sense of judgment, before. Now that I can see everything more clearly, without being blinded by leftover shadows and erased memories. This does not mean I lost my impulsiveness, I know that. But… you would have done the same, in my place. You would have tried to stop me from being irrational and… well, like you were just hours ago”_.   
The spirit smiled, bittersweet: _“But, just like me, never listen”_.

 

Yugi sighed: “Would you have really done the same?”.

 

 _“I will not deny Joeys behavior irritated me, Yugi. Today more than anytime. I know I told you to be patient, but what he said, the fact he talked so badly about Seto and degraded you… believe me, Yugi, if you had gave me the possibility to intervene in some way, I would have done much, much worse”_ , the Pharaoh replied.   
That kind of innocent double play had been completely unpremeditated, but it still was almost as bad as lying to Yugi, so Atem apologized: _“I am sorry. I did not want you to think I could be better than you, especially in this kind of situation. To be honest with you, I don’t even know what to do when you best friend suddenly betrays you and could potentially yell at everyone a relationship that should remain calm and silent. Back then, no one could even think about me and Seth being together, let alone know it. nonetheless, Seth is not wrong. So stop blaming yourself for righting with Joey and get a hold of your feelings. It’s his fault, not yours. He has to apologize and make up for his mistakes, not you”_.

 

 

 

In that, someone knocked on the door and Yugi distinctly saw the harsh light of Seth’s eyes vanish, to let a less threatening and more disoriented one take its place.   
The priest didn’t speak often, in fact he almost never showed up at all and preferred leaving small comments in Seto’s mind, so every time he took control, he had a tendency to leave the CEO confused and nauseated afterwards.  
Kinda like the first times Atem had taken control of Yugi’s body, leaving the poor boy so distressed and sick he often had to lay down and regain his bearings.   
Still, his face was hilarious.   
«Are you okay», Yugi asked, barely stifling a laugh between his teeth. It wasn’t something common, seeing the almighty and indifferent Seto Kaiba trying to understand if he was still on planet Earth or not.   
Yugi felt a little bit relieved, grateful to have cleared things up with Seto, but some uncertainty still was there, nibbling at his mind.   
What he was hoping, was that Seto could play more attention in the future, but promised himself never to explode against him again.

 

 

 

In response, Seto glared at him and, after threatening Seth of locking the Millennium Rod in the freezer if he would do such a thing again without asking, brought his attention to the person behind the door.   
His brother for sure, with the security being the only people left in the building and Roland waiting for them in the car, so Seto didn’t bother to move Yugi away from him.

 

 

 

Mokuba came in after receiving permission from his brother, and seeing both him and Yugi curled up on the couch lightened his heart a little.   
They clarified the issue, then.  
He was happy they clarified. Although Mokuba had threatened Yugi, the younger Kaiba couldn’t help it, they were just too cute together. Even though he was forced more than once to put on headphones with blaring music in them, to avoid hearing those two while…  
«Can we go home, or…?».

 

 

 

Seto nodded, getting up from the couch and dragging Yugi to his feet as well: «You can tell Roland, Mokuba. We’re also taking Yugi home, obviously», he added, looking at him. «You came with him this morning, didn’t you?».

 

 

 

«Yeah, I couldn’t drive the bike with this weather», Yugi replied, affirmatively. «But that doesn’t mean you were right», he immediately added, already knowing what Seto was going to say. «I’m not getting another license».

 

 

 

With an exasperated snort, Seto turned off his computer and gathered his belongings, before getting out of his office alongside Yugi and Mokuba, heading towards the underground garage.  
Once all three of them were in the car, the conversation took a much nicer turn than the constant bickering between Seto and Yugi about the driving license. A conversation so busy the CEO didn’t notice the car stopped at Yugi’s house until Roland told him.   
«I still think you should give it a try. Driving a car is much better», he mischievously said, getting a smack in return. «See you tomorrow?».  
Yugi nodded and, with a smile curving his lips, left a small kiss on his cheek and closed the car door behind him, quickly entering his house but careful not to walk in the snow.   
When the door slammed, Seto told Roland to leave and crossed his arms, his mind in turmoil and troubled again.   
Would their discussion happen again if Yugi chose to live with him at the mansion? Or would other ones add themselves to the matter?  
Would Seth and Atem be able to mitigate the situation if their host got involved in a much worse fight?  
Those thoughts tormented him all the way home, and Seto also began to feel guilty for having excluded Mokuba from that unfortunate situation. He was really worried, after all.

 

When Roland left them in front of the mansion’s double doors, Seto had got a hold of his thoughts and decided to put aside the ruminations on the eventual cohabitation with Yugi and to apologize to Mokuba. Just after having changed into more comfortable clothes.   
After ditching his white suit in favor of sweatpants and a hoodie, Seto looked for Mokuba and found him in their game room, already changed into his pajamas and busy playing Detroit Becomes Human. A videogame highly appreciated by Seto, who had finished it months before.   
«Mokuba?», he tried to catch his attention. «Can I talk to you?».

 

 

 

«Sure».  
Pausing the videogame, Mokuba nodded and set the controller aside, waving Seto to sit on the couch.   
He had already imagined his brother was going to face the issue between them, but not that fast. Seto wasn’t good at apologizing. Or explaining problems. Or anything like that, really.   
Surely something else was bothering him, and he probably wanted to lighten the load on his mind by removing the less complicate part. He knew him too well to think otherwise.   
«What happened, Seto?».

 

 

 

«I’m sorry I locked you out», he began, clearing his throat.   
Apologies were difficult, unless they were we—constructed and absolutely fictional disclaimers addressed to this or that company chairman or sponsor.  
Not even his brother was a good candidate for sincere and fluent apologies.  
«What happened today… that’s not going to happen again», he continued, trying to convince also himself. «I’ve been irresponsible, and above all, insensitive towards you. I know how much you worry about me, and I also know I have a thing for making things worse».  
Thinking back, Seto knew he had closed Mokuba out of his office and thoughts because his mind had no space for him, too filled with Yugi’s screaming voice and his own fear. He knew he did that to avoid anyone around able to divert his unhealthy beliefs.   
He also knew he actually didn’t want to think about how much his brother could be alarmed.  
«Are you angry?».

 

 

 

Mokuba shook his head: «No. well, yes. With Yugi, not with you». A sigh, masked by a bitter smile: «I know you too well to get angry every time that happens, even if you should deserve it», he scolded him.   
That wasn’t the first time Seto had decided to ignore everyone to bathe in his own frustration and bad thoughts, after all.   
And Mokuba had reprimanded him several times, to that day.   
«I got angry with Yugi, and come to think of it… damn, I should have apologized to him before coming back home», he added, looking down at hi feet.  
He had been so distracted by the fact Seto finally was feeling good and happy again he hadn’t thought of it, in the limo. That smile on his brother’s face was just too beautiful.

 

 

 

«Mokuba…».

 

 

 

He raised his hands, defensively but also admitting his guilt, not surprised by the half-scolding, half-exasperated tone: «I know, I know. I shouldn’t have intruded. I couldn’t help it. you always helped me when I was down, in any way possible, and seeing you so… discouraged. I don’t like that look on your face, Seto. You’ve had it for far too long. Anger got the better of me», he concluded, frowning.   
«The same happened when the Pharaoh disappeared. And again, while Yugi was in the hospital and didn’t want to see you afterwards. It happened so many times I lost count. I just… I just didn’t want you to go back to being your own shadow», he explained, his head bowed.   
Of course, should had Seto crashed back into that horrible spiral of sadness and fake illusions, Mokuba wouldn’t have had a single regret blaming Yugi for it, and that thought made his unpleasant feelings even more intense.

 

 

 

Seto sighed, not at all surprised by that admission: «Fine, but try… try avoiding that. I know you do it for me, and I know it’s difficult for you, but trust me. There’s no need. Not against him. But – he added – if things would really fail, you _have_ to promise me you won’t get in the way», he said, not scolding, but still not too benevolent.   
Although his intentions were indeed good, if Mokuba continued to intervene there was the chance problems weren’t going to be solved properly.   
If, someday, Seto and Yugi would have to settle an argument between them, they had to do it themselves. Above all, because Seto was still learning.   
«Thank you, though», he smiled, getting up from the couch. «You really are the best brother I could have ever hoped to have».

 

 

 

 

 

The Kame Game was so crowded even moving around the shop was nothing short than a challenge.   
Yugi saw Ashley and his grandfather walking here and there in the packed place several times, losing themselves amongst the people to answer someone’s call for help or to arrange and restock the shelves.  
The day after tomorrow, after all, was Christmas, and the shop was going to be open only on that day before closing until January, so it was full of people trying to find a last minute gift.   
In addition, many of the customers were at the shop to collect things already ordered days or weeks prior, so the biggest challenge was to track down and give the right neatly wrapped gift to everyone asking.   
Yugi had decided to help in the shop for the full day because he knew how much of an issue that tremendous confusion  was, especially with the Kame Game being run only by two people.  
He had been behind the counter since a hour before the opening, to organize everything he could beforehand.   
Grandpa had found him intent on checking card, console and videogame inventories, and Yugi had shrugged off his protests.  
«Sitting behind the counter in this busy period is too hard for you», he had told him, irremovable, and Solomon had to agree with him. Even if his reply showed a lot of wounded pride, stealing a smile from his grandson.

 

At 3 pm the crowd showed no sign of diminishing, and to the general confusion were added the excited comments and encouragements coming from a group of teenagers Dueling in the corner of the shop.  
Yugi had suggested just a few days before to organize a small area with tables and chairs, thus allowing the Duelists who couldn’t yet afford of yet bought a Duel Disk to play Duel Monsters the traditional way, with the promise of prizes for the best.   
Yugi had been absolutely surprised and delighted upon discovering the idea had attracted a lot of Duelists of all ages, and he started thinking about organizing weekly or monthly tournaments just to add more fun to the whole deal.  
A lot of times, even experienced Duelists used to play with a Duel Disk set the device aside in favor of some old-style Duels.   
In the midst of that chaos, though, Yugi didn’t let a familiar head of blond hair slip through his attention.  
“What the hell is he doing, here?”, he asked Atem, receiving only a shrug in response.

 

 

Hesitant and a little disoriented by the people crammed into the shop, Joey approached the counter after having spotted Yugi behind it, and waited for him to help a customer before trying to get his attention.  
Yugi’s expression seemed much colder that it had been only a few moments before, and Joey felt a shiver running down his spine.   
But, he didn’t let that awful awareness of not being welcome get to his intentions: «Hey, Yug…?».

 

 

 

«What do you want, Joey?», Yugi asked, closing the cash register’s drawer. «If you’re not here to buy something, you can leave», he added, softening the expression as another customer approached.   
Quickly, Yugi handed him the console he had ordered two weeks earlier and advised the customer on a good starting Deck to give to his son, given the teen’s imminent entrance in Duel Academy.   
Then, after seeing the customer leave with a satisfied smile on his face and not having received an answer from Joey, Yugi dedicated his attention to a kid trying to choose between two booster packs.

 

 

 

«I want to talk with you», Joey insisted, resolving to speak again as soon as the boy walked away with three packs in his hands.   
He had no intention of making Yugi angry again, not after the horrible fright he gave him when the blond barged into his office, but he didn’t want to leave without trying to fix their argument.   
He had to clarify it, especially after having thought about it day and night for the entire week.  
He had even come to neglect his studies, in order to find a way to resolve that fight in peace.

 

 

 

Yugi printed a receipt to another customer before replying, without even looking at him: «We have nothing to talk about», he said, coldly. «Leave, Joey. Last warning».   
Another smile as he turned towards a boy who handed him a videogame to be wrapped as a gift, and then his neutral expression came back.  
Joey couldn’t just show up in the store and demand to talk to him, not after his actions and words.

 

 

 

«Yes, we do».  
Stubborn, Joey waited patiently for Yugi to deal with a long line of customers and resumed: «I want to fix all of this. I’m not leaving until we’ve come to a compromise. I didn’t want to… you know», he added, hoping to break through Yugi’s cold attitude.

 

 

 

«What? You didn’t want to accuse Seto of being a blackmailer? You didn’t want to say I’m nothing but a puppet in his hands?».  
Pissed off, but surprised by the fact Joey didn’t move from the counter, Yugi sighed and tried to think about it, handing out two consoles and a bunch of videogames to a customer before taking payment.   
He didn’t know what to decide.   
He didn’t even want to ask Atem for advice, and besides, the Pharaoh was strangely silent in his Soul Room. Perhaps he had chosen to not intervene to avoid any other conflicts.  
In the end, Yugi waved at Ashley, resigned: «Can you replace me for a while? I have a problem to solve. I’ll be back as soon as I can».  
Then, when Ashley replaced him behind the counter, Yugi turned to Joey: «Fine, let’s talk. But I’m not letting the whole shop hear what you’re going to say», he said, pointing at the side door with a nod.

 

Leaving the confusion and the blabbering people of the shop behind them, Yugi climbed the stairs and led Joey in the kitchen after leaving their shoes on the landing.   
Still not quite sure on how he wanted to handle the conversation, Yugi motioned for Joey to sit down and put a kettle of water on the stove, with the intention of making some tea.   
That conversation could be both short and painless, or long and argumentative, so he wanted to have something to do, to distract him. Something to keep his hands occupied.  
He had no intention of getting angry again, it wasn’t even worth it if Joey was still as stubborn as he was years before.   
During the time the water reached a good temperature, neither of them spoke or made any attempt of doing so, and the kitchen was filled only by the faint sound of the flame on the stove and the gurgling of water.   
After filling two cups with hot water and putting teabags in them, Yugi placed one in fron of Joey and sat across him, turning his mug thoughtfully: «So?».

 

 

 

«I’m sorry for what I’ve said and done», Joey began, straightforward. Better going right to the point from the beginning, there was no time to waste.  
He was scared, and didn’t want to undergo another outburst of anger. Yugi was too intimidating for his liking, the look in his angered eyes was terrifying. The day he barged in Yugi’s office, Joey had truly thought he was going to be sent straight to the Shadow Realm or something like that. And he believed Yugi would have done that, he if wasn’t… well, Joey.   
Yugi’s eyebrow twitched at those words, but Joey was kind of sure he could keep talking.   
After all, Yugi wasn’t good at holding grudges against his friends, and would listen to him. Then, of course, he would decide whether to throw Joey out of his house or answer.   
«I overreacted. I’ll be honest, I… I really thought you were dating him because you feel like you owe him or something. Y’know, because he saved you and shit», he said.   
Then, noticing Yugi’s stone cold expression, Joey raised his hands and heavily sighed: «Listen, I’m really sorry, okay? I should have definitely thought twice before talking. I’ve made a fool of you», he added, trying to patch his mistake.

 

 

 

«Do you even realize the gravity of the situation, Joey?».  
Yugi shook his head, taking a sip of hot tea: «Why are you so ill-disposed? Seto is a good person. He just cares about few people», he said, sighing.   
He was disappointed, but the fact Joey had been able to apologize on his initiative was a big step forward. Altought, it didn’t take away the seriousness of what he had said.   
«He showed respect for you on more than one occasion, and more than once. You have no right to treat Seto like that, even if he seems like an asshole», Yugi added. «Because he’s not».  
If Joey had forgotten Seto’s help during the Orichalcos disaster, or the invitation addressed to him for the Grand Championship, Yugi had not. And that only concerned instances in where they were still teenagers.   
«You shouldn’t have put him or me at that level, Joey. Those are unthinkable things for him. For the love od gods, Joey, you implied he was forcing me to… you _shouldn’t_ have said it, period. ».

 

 

 

«Yes, I know. I’m sorry for that, too», Joey nodded, taking a sip a tea. «He is a good person. Annoying, arrogant and with an enormous ego, but still good deep down».

 

 

 

«Joey…», Yugi warned him.  
He didn’t like that.

 

 

 

He raised his hands again, more defensively: «I can only be so kind to him», he said. «He’s been a first class bastard with us, respect or not. I can’t just forget it, you have a different way of relating to him», he added.   
During that long week, in fact, he hadn’t thought only about how to settle their argument.   
He also tried to understand what Yugi found in a person like Seto, who at the beginning had been not so kind even with him, and in the end he had finally got it. Somehow, he realized their past lives had a part in all that, if not a huge one. Between Seto and Yugi, despite their bickering and the latter’s attitude, there had always been some kind of reciprocated respect never cracked by their rivalry, Joey had to notice it.   
An by the time of Memory World, he had started to notice something was off, about Seto’s behavior regarding Yugi and/or Atem.   
Hell, the CEO turned over earth and sea to bring the Pharaoh back to life, and Dueling him wasn’t an excuse good enough for millions and millions invested in that crazy plan.   
And yet, Joey failed to notice it.   
«Can we pick up from where we left off? I really want to help you, Yug. Give me a chance».

 

 

 

Yugi took his time to answer, sipping again at his cooling tea, and resolved to nod: «All right», he replied. «I’m not that innocent, anyway. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with you. But knowing you were actually thinking that was the right thing to do… it was so frustrating, Joey, I couldn’t bear it», he added, placing his mug on the table, with perhaps a little too much force.   
«I guess I’ve never actually though you could have such a low opinion about me or Seto, but I should have understood you never said those things to voluntarily hurt me. You’re a fucking idiot when you put a lot of effort into it».

 

 

 

«Hey, I caused you more trouble than anyone should face. I think I deserve a worse insult than that», Joey replied, shaking his head. «I was an asshole, that’s it. Don’t feel guilty for you anger, I should have deserved a lot worse than a few items thrown at my head. Next time, Yug, go for a kick in the balls», he laughed, trying to lighten up the mood. «Telling you that you’re dating him just for money… fuck, I don’t what got into me. I have no excuse, and you’re definitely too kind for this world».   
Then, taking the last sip of tea and encouraged by Yugi’s finally softened look, he leaned back in his chair and frowned: «Now, Kaiba asked you to move in with him?».

 

 

 

 _“Quick change of subject”_ , Atem commented, finally breaking the silence of his Soul Room.

 

Yugi shrugged: “I guess he doesn’t want to risk another argument. And I can’t ask for more from him. I’m still angry for his words, but Joey came here to apologize. He didn’t just try to fix things up with a text or a phone call», he replied.   
He wanted to be sympathetic, but another wrong step lie that and Yugi wouldn’t forgive him again.   
Not after making sure he understood what was going on.   
«Yes, he asked me», he replied to the blond, getting up to put the empty mugs in the sink. «It was really unexpected», he added, returning to his seat.

 

 

 

«How long have you been together?».

 

 

 

«Well, we…».  
Undecided about what to answer Yugi sighed resignedly.   
Neither of them really understood how long before their relationship actually began.   
Since Seto had confessed to love him, after his return from that crazy and near-death adventure in the afterlife?  
Since Yugi had finally learned and accepted Seto didn’t see only Atem, when he looked at him?  
Or since Atem and Seth had suddenly came into their lives, the first coming back to Yugi and the second chosing to live with Seto?  
Or better yet, so late as to have begun when Set and Yugi had brought their bond to a more physical level, when they made love for the first time?  
«I don’t know», Yugi finally admitted. «It’s too complicated, I don’t know how to answer».

 

 

 

«Is that the reason why you didn’t tell us?».

 

 

 

«One of many», Yugi nodded.   
Not knowing how to continue the conversation, Yugi decided to get up and wash the two mugs in the sink, just to keep himself busy: «That’s not the point. The problem is, I don’t know what to tell him. Not yet».

 

 

 

Joey folded his arms, thoughtfully: «Why? Do you have problems with him?».

 

 

 

«No, that’s not it», Yugi shook his head.  
Once the mugs were rinsed, he wiped them and placed them in the cupboard, then sat back in front of Joey: «The problem is not him. It’s me», he replied, placing his elbows on the table.  
With his chin resting on entwined fingers, he thought of the best way to expose the situation without being too tedious, and finally opted for a straightforward approach: «I don’t want to leave because I don’t want my grandfather to be alone. But at the same time I would nothing more than to move in with Seto. I can’t figure out what to do», he said.

 

 

 

«Well, the only thing I can say, then, it’s repeat what I’ve already told you. Live you life for yourself, not for other people», Joey replied. «We talked about it, at Burger World».

 

 

 

«I know».  
Yugi stirred uncomfortably in his chair, but didn’t drop the issue: «It doesn’t bother me to get away from home. It’s just… what if my grandfather were to… I don’t want to be away when he…».  
Thinking about that always made Yugi sad.   
Not that he tricked and deluded himself into thinking he was going to have him at his side forever, Yugi knew his grandfather would die sooner or later, but… the thought was almost unbearable.   
«I can’t conceive the idea of losing him and not being there for… I don’t know. For his last moments. Talk to him one last time», he added, taking a deep breath.   
Losing control of his emotion was the last thing Yugi wanted at that moment, even if he felt tears prickling his eyes.   
«What should I do, Joey?».

 

 

 

Not knowing what to say, Joey took some time to think about it. Then he raised his open palm, condescending: «As difficult as it may seem, I think you have to pick your happiness. Retracing your steps and always remain on the same road leads nowhere, Yug. And if every so often you happen to leave someone behind, that’s life. You can’t go on if you keep looking back. You were the one that taught me this, after all. Moreover – he added, getting up – it’s not like you’re disappearing from the face of the earth. No one will stop you from coming back, even if my stupid brain apparently decided to think the opposite».   
With a half smile, he patted Yugi’s shoulder and put on the coat he had removed before sitting down: «Being with the person you love is the best thing you could do. The decision is yours, of course, but if you want to move in with Seto, just do it. Who knows how much time we have left, with all the psychos trying to kill us», he concluded with a shrug.

 

 

 

«You told me the same things in Burger World», Yugi replied, smiling at that disquieting truth. «You’re probably right».

 

 

 

«Eh, there are things you cannot change».  
Fidgeting with the zip of his coat, Joey puffed: «I wish I could have said something different, Yugi. But I felt like… I don’t know, maybe telling you this while actually knowing who you’re moving in with… it could make a little bit more sense. I’m not that good ad advices, man. But I mean it. Last time, I told you what I believed was the right thing, not knowing the subject. I’m not changing it just because I don’t like the fact you and Seto are dating. But – he added – I can add something different, and please, don’t be mad at me for this. Be your own person, Yugi. Don’t let him change you. He can be very convincing, and stubborn, that’s not something you can deny. Make your opinion count, anytime. Don’t let Seto be in charge of everything, even if he loves to. Keep your power to yourself, and use it to be with your family and friends, to be the person you want to be. Move on, but don’t move from yourself. Go forward hand in hand with him, but be always on the same level».  
That was important, and Joey really hoped Yugi could understand there was no malice in those words.

 

 

 

Yugi nodded: «I’m happy you told me this. It’s good having you back».  
Imitating him in getting up, Yugi punched Joey on the shoulder and followed him down the stairs: «I’m going back to work. Look, Joey… I have something to ask. A favor, if you want to call it that. That is, if you haven’t caused trouble already», he added, nervously biting his lower lip.  
He had no idea who could know about him and Seto.

 

 

 

«I didn’t tell anyone, not even Mai», Joey reassured him, catching the antiphon. «And don’t worry, I’m not planning on blaring it out loud to everyone I know».  
He tied his shoes, a pair of sneakers clearly not useful in the snow, and squeezed Yugi’s hand: «By the way… could you apologize to Kaiba for me? I don’t think I can do it personally. I’m pretty sure he’ll bite my face off or something».

 

 

 

«You should try anyway», Yugi scolded him, but he was barely holding in a laugh. He knew Joey wasn’t entirely wrong.  Even though Seto didn’t seem that angry about the whole issue, he was absolutely and without doubt furious.  
«I’ll take care of that. But if he demands your apologies, there’s not much I’ll be able to say. Spend some good holidays, Joey. Don’t drown in your books», he waved goodbye, before closing the door so as not to let the cold coming from outside.  
It was snowing again.   
“Well… I don’t know how much that helped”, he told Atem. “He literally said the same things as last week”.

 

 _“That’s true_ – Atem floated beside him – _but that doesn’t mean he didn’t help you. Think about it. You will realize how much his words are going to matter by yourself_ ”.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo... yeah.  
> That was bad.   
> I'm not even going to hope this was remotely good as a chapter.  
> I had fun writing it, but then everything exploded and I just rewrote it begrudgingly.
> 
> I'm sorry.
> 
> You'll be receiving a lot of fluff and love in the next one, I promise. 
> 
> Also no, I don't have anything against Joey, I just think he's a little... childish? when it comes to Kaiba. I love him and his Red-Eyes. 
> 
> Bye!!!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> «Oh, that would be a show I’m not going to miss», he said. «The great King of Games stripped of his pride after rolling down a mountain. Front page news, no doubt».  
> [...]  
> «You can ask a rematch whenever you want», he whispered, before bending over to kiss him, softly, in the snowy silence only sprinkled with the distant laugh and cries of other skiers.   
> «I love you, Yugi», he murmured, feeling Yugi’s smile on his lips a he leaned in for another, longer, deeper kiss, his sweet taste still lingering. «And I love you too, Atem».  
> [...]  
> «  
> I’m happy I’ve spent these holidays with you, Seto. And I’m even more happy, when I think my life is going to be even more full of you».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I promised this was going to be a long chapter.   
> I actually planned on uploading this before the deadline I gave myself, but hey. Shit happens, and I'm so lost in history and literature book I don't even know what's my name anymore.
> 
> So yeah, this is the second half of that chapter my computer felt like destroying with no apparent reason whatsoever, and was supposed to come out on Christmas. We all have to take something as it is, don't we?  
> I'm really sorry this didn't came out as and when planned, and I'm actually disappointed of myself for taking this much time to fix it, but I really couldn't work on this for as much as I wanted to.
> 
> I hope you appreciate this chapter, and yes, I did it again. Like other two Christmas fanfictons I uploaded, this thing is more about Christmas Eve than Christmas itself.   
> That's because, correct me if I'm wrong, Christmas Eve is seen like a holiday for couples, at least in Japan, and it's too fitting to waste the opportunity.  
> Plus, I kinda have bad feeling about Christmas, sorry about that.  
> But enough of this, enjoy!

«Are you ready, Yugi? Did you pack everything you need?».

 

 

 

Puffing exasperated, but with a smile on his face, Yugi threw his coat on the living room’s couch, next to which was a full and closed suitcase: «Stop worrying, grandpa. Moreover, I’m not going alone. We’re talking about Seto, here», he replied. «I wouldn’t surprise me to find out I didn’t even need my stuff right after arriving at the resort».

 

 

 

Solomon laughed at that statement: «Yeah, I can’t reply to that. Alright then, but be careful. Especially you, Yugi. You never went skiing», he added with a frown, crossing his arms.

 

 

 

At that moment, the sound of a horn let Yugi know of Roland’s arrival: «There’s always a first time for everything, am I right?», he replied, winking.  
With a sigh, Yugi grabbed his suitcase and smiled: «We’ll be careful, don’t worry about it. see you in a few days, call me if anything happens!», he said goodbye, running down the stairs after putting on his coat.   
Once his boots were on his feet, Yugi left the house and reached the car waiting for him, happily noticing Seto had finally stopped forcing him into his limo. The car was a slick model, painted with a shiny black coat, but at least it was way less noticeable.   
«Hi, Roland», he greeted Seto’s faithful right-hand man, fastening his seat belt.  
He returned the greeting, but didn’t say much more, quiet as always.   
Imagining Seto was already waiting at the airport, Yugi didn’t raise the subject and instead stared out the car window, watching as houses and people as the car quickly but carefully crossed Domino’s streets.   
Although the main ones had already been cleared of snow and ice, Roland still maintained a moderate speed, until the car stopped in front of Domino’s airport.   
There, after having entrusted Yugi’s luggage to some men of Seto’s staff, Roland wished him a good holiday and set off again, with no doubt towards the Kaiba mansion, leaving the man no choice but to follow the two in charge of escorting him.

 

Domino’s airport was nothing special, and Yugi had visited it so many times over the years (both for business and leisure trips) he perfectly knew how to orient himself inside it even without having to look around.   
However, he also already knew Seto would take care to have him escorted to his private plane, especially in crowded places like an airport. Not infrequently, after all, it had happened that some exalted fan or crazy person had tried to assault Yugi, and after what had been an attempt on his life and his rape, Seto tended to reinforce security around the King of Games as much as he could.   
A little later, once quickly passed all the checks and controls (Seto Kaiba’s name was able to perform actual miracles in that regard), Yugi finally reached his destination, the private place Seto used only for trip not related to work.   
It was a much smaller aircraft than the other one he usually chose, but although it lacked the exuberance and the absurdity of the plane modeled on a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it was still able to capture the attention of every beholder.

 

After thanking Seto’s men, who had also took care to load his luggage on the plane, Yugi climbed the small set of stairs and entered the passenger cabin of the aircraft, not surprised upon seeing the hyper-tech and comfortable environment.   
That place reminded him of a fully furnished room, so much the resemblance was, and he almost already forgot he was walking inside a plane. Something that was going to be in the air very soon.   
The only difference from a normal living room were the seat belts and various compartments containing necessary emergency equipment.   
Seto was already sitting on one of the leather seats, obviously busy doing something on his work tablet. At Yugi’s arrival, however, he looked up and smiled, his blue eyes sparkling under intense white lights.   
«You’re always the same», Yugi said, falling on the seat next to him to take a peek at the tablet screen. Job e-mails, of course. «Turn that thing off, it’s freaking Christmas Eve today», he scolded him, at the cost of sounding like a mother. Or his brother. The latter, giving the circumstances.

 

 

 

Seto rolled his eyes, but for once he decided it would be better to listen to him. He had no particular intention on listening to another lecture, not after the one he had to endure from Mokuba two hours prior, regarding almost the same issue.   
With an exasperated sigh, he turned off the tablet and set it aside, replacing the device with Yugi’s hands: «Fine, but only for today and tomorrow», he conceded, leaving delicate kisses on his knuckles. «It was nothing difficult, anyway».

 

 

 

«Difficult or not, you’re absolutely not going to work on Christmas», Yugi replied, smiling at the faint blush grazing the CEO’s cheeks. He was still too worried about small gestured, but that was fine.   
Then, the spiky haired man frowned: «Wait, where’s Mokuba? I thought you said you wanted to spend the holiday with him, too», he said, confused by not seeing the younger Kaiba anywhere.   
It was weird, not seeing him around.

 

 

 

«We… we talked about it yesterday», Seto answered, raising a hand on Yugi’s face. «And… we decided it would be more appropriate to spend this holiday with you. With just you».   
Feeling his face bushing again, Seto attempted to hide it and leaned forward to catch Yugi’s lips in a kiss, smiling in it upon feeling the man’s hands free themselves to get caught his hair, to keep him close.   
«He told me not to worry about him, for once», Seto added, parting from Yugi, out of breath. «It’s good I listened to what he said».  
He had eyes only for the man in front of him, still catching his breath after the kiss, tentatively licking his lower lip, were Seto had inadvertently  bit down.  
It was definitely a good thing Mokuba wasn’t with them.

 

 

 

 

 

Two hours later, the reason why Yugi considered the use of such a sophisticated plane to be an exaggeration, they landed at a small airport, probably private and available to them thanks to Seto’s intervention.  
No other plane was in sight, after all, and the only one Yugi could see was in an open hangar, no life whatsoever in it.   
«Why the hell do you constantly need a plane?!», Yugi yelled at Seto, trying to overcome said plane’s roar as the pilot drove it into the hangar.   
They needed to arrive to their destination by car anyway. That plane was just a big show off, Yugi knew it.   
The vehicle they got on, a huge and surely expensive SUV, was well equipped to face snow and ice and driven by a skilled driver, personally chosen by Seto to avoid security problems.   
They got to their destination in a fairly short time, despite heavily snow and ice-covered mountain roads, while still being cautious about it.

 

Not even four hour after their departure from Domino’s airport, Yugi and Seto had set foot in a marvelous ski resort, specifically in a huge hotel that gave off the impression of being too expensive for anyone, save for Maximillion Pegasus, at least.   
«I should have imagined you would have chosen a place like this», Yugi said, shaking his head with a hal-laugh to avoid facepalming. «At least it’s not yours. You’re really putting your hands on too much stuff».

 

 

 

«I could buy this place off of spite, don’t challenge me», Seto said, looking at the reception. «Come on, or we won’t be able to ski at all», he added, gesturing Yugi to follow him to the counter.

 

 

 

While Seto took care of their reservation, ignoring the wide-eyed woman behind the reception counter, Yugi took his sweet time to look around the place.   
The hotel was very different from the ones he had already been in, especially because the lobby was not just a big, almost empty space, maybe filled with a couple chairs and coffee tables, but it was fully furnished and equipped with a large, roaring fireplace, in which the fire burned cheerfully.  
It wasn’t a particularly crowed place, being a luxury ski resort, but the atmosphere still resonated with people talking and laughing, and the delicious smell of hot chocolate and melting marshmallow (kids’ choice) filled the air.   
«It’s a really nice place», Yugi commented, noticing Seto finally recovered the electronic key to their room.   
A suite, as it was obvious when Seto was around.  
Their luggage had already brought to their room by the hotel staff, so Yugi followed Seto in the elevator, while eyeing the beautiful staircase leading to the upper floor. He didn’t complain though. He knew pretty well Seto Kaiba would rather die that climb a long ass staircase to the top floor.   
He hated stairs.

 

 

 

In response, Seto smiled: «I know you wanted to get away from all that hyper-tech stuff at KaibaCorp. I thought this place could be a good choice for that», he said, shrugging.   
In reality, he had to ask Mokuba for advice, panicking as he wasn’t able to figure out a place good enough, and at first he didn’t even understand why his brother had recommended such a place in his list.   
Seto thought about that particular choice only after having asked Yugi, filled with melancholic memories, but that reason worked well.  
Of course, despite being somewhat rustic and traditional looking, the resort didn’t lack anything, it was fully equipped in term of latest technology and provided various services to its customers, but rather than being an exorbitant building full of holographic screens and loose cables, it contributed to give that old-fashioned atmosphere, far from Domino’s modernity.    
Seto would have never thought Yugi could feel trapped, in the middle of holograms, led lights and computers of his skyscraper, and Mokuba helped him in the right direction. Seto choose on his own accords, reminded of cheerful times, and the expression on his boyfriend’s face fully convinced him.   
«I’m sorry I didn’t notice it before, by the way. I should have».

 

 

 

«What? No, don’t feel sorry about that», Yugi quickly reassured him. «Technology doesn’t bother me that much, it’s just… it’s nice to go back to something less complicated. I didn’t even think about this until you brought the issue up».   
The elevator stopped with a chime on their floor, and opened on a short corridor covered with painting ans photos, all framed and representing snowy landscapes of the surrounding area.   
Although the whole thing seemed a little bit too pretentious to Yugi, especially after counting the number of art pieces on the wall, they were all very beautiful.  
One in particular, a detailed oil painting depicting a glimpse of mountains covered in pure white snow, convinced him to stop in front of it for a while.

 

«Fine, I’ll admit it. This is perfect», Yugi said, when Seto used the electronic key code to open the door of their suite.   
What truly enchanted Yugi was not so much the suit itself, a stunning place indeed, but the huge windows the opened the walls, allowing a spectacular view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding the hotel.  
From that perspective the trails were not visible, allowing to see a landscape completely natural, not modified by any human hand.  
The trees, with their branches weighed down by a lot of snow, dotted the slope of the mountains, creating large shaded areas, and occasionally a bird here and there dared to fly from branch to branch, accustomed to the cold area.   
«I literally have no words to describe how this is making me fell. It’s wonderful».

 

Curious, Atem materialized out of the Puzzled and approached the windows, floating silently on the carpeted floor, his clothes so out of place in contrast with the snow Yugi legit worried about him, before remembering he was only a spirit.   
The Pharaoh’s Egyptian clothing, so bizarre in a place that cold, made his appearance even more surreal than usual.   
“Do you like it?”.

 

 _“I have never seen so much snow”_ , he replied in dazed voice, so stunned he was frozen in place, staring outside. _“How can you not be as surprised as me? This is incredible. It is like a desert, but with snow in place of the sand”_.

 

Yugi chuckled, approaching the sitting area near the large windows, and fell on the soft couch, hypnotized by the view: «Do you want to eat something before we go? It’s almost noon», he asked Seto, waving him to join.   
The suite included another lounge area, much larger and decorated, equipped with a flat screen TV in addition to an extremely well built electric fireplace, but Yugi had no doubt about what couch he preferred to sit on.   
The landscape outside was too charming to ditch it in favor of a television screen.

 

 

 

«We can call room service, sure», Seto suggested, sinking into the cushions. «Or we can go downstairs and eat something in the restaurant. It’s open for both lunch and dinner».

 

 

 

«I think we should keep the restaurant for tonight», Yugi decided, after thinking about it for a few moments. «But if you want to, there’s no problem going downstairs to eat. I could go either way, really», he added.   
Yugi rather preferred spend the evening of Christmas Eve in a restaurant, as it seemed more fitting, than have lunch in there, but he didn’t want to choose for Seto.   
He had a thing for restaurants, especially very expensive ones, but only if they were small places. So Yugi wasn’t so sure about that.

 

 

 

In response, Seto told the hotel staff to bring up lunch and flung a arm around Yuigi’s shoulders, drawing the smaller man to him: «You know, I’ve never spent the holidays with someone other than Mokuba», he admitted, with a sad smile. «I never thought about it, actually».   
Plus, he had never had anyone else to spend them with, to tell the whole truth.   
Since they were children, from their parents’ death and even after the adoption by Gozaburo, Seto and Mokuba always spent all holidays together, even the most insignificant ones, without asking for a different company, or someone else aside from them.   
For years, Seto and Mokuba had been their own only family, even more so when Gozabuto turned out to be the awful and merciless foster father Seto had not believed he could be.   
They had always counted only on themselves, even in moments that should have been of leisure and joy.  
And Seto, knowing he had Mokuba, had never thought of hoping for something more, for someone different in his life.   
It seemed almost an offense, a wrong to his brother, the sheer hope of having an entirely different person by his side.   
It had been difficult for Mokuba to make him understand he was wrong, and with a smile on his face, the day before he had told him to stop worrying, to call Yugi and  to avoid thinking about his little brother for once.   
With eyes full of hope for his brother, Mokuba had put the phone in Seto’s hands and had convinced him to dial the new addition to their family, promising he would be fine.  
«Mokuba is truly someone I’ve never deserved», Seto whispered, shaking his head. «I will never be able to thank him enough for all he has done for me. For what he’s still doing. And for what he will do for years to come».

 

 

 

Yugi smiled at those words, pulling his legs on the couch and cuddling with Seto, curling in his loving heat and cradled in his half-embrace: «He worries for you because you don’t», he replied, in the same whispered tone. «He say you being lonely and alone for years, because you never thought of your own well-being. He understood that in order for you to go ahead he has to take a step back. Don’t thank him, Seto. Thank yourself for having listened to him».  
Then, breaking the melancholy tension with a half-laugh, he looked up into Seto’s heavenly eyes and grinned: «I mean, with your big-ass ego, this fact is never going to stop amazing me».

 

 

 

«Okay, that does it!», Seto exclaimed, jerking up from the couch and choking down a laugh as Yugi collapsed face first in the cushions, no longer supported by his frame.  
«I’m not going to accept criticism on my ego from the so-called King of Games and righteous Pharaoh of all Egypt», he added, crossing his arms with a snort half offended, half amused.

 

 

 

«Oh, you’re one to talk. CEO and president of the most important company of the world, owner of dozens of amusement parks. Mr. Seto Kaiba, the great billionaire who had to build _an entire space station_ to contain his otherwise uncontainable ego, completed with an artificial intelligence ready to admire him after every single word», Yugi replied immediately, not even stuttering once, sitting up and never losing his smig expression. «The great Priest, the most faithful to said Pharaoh, elected Pharaoh himself by Atem and remembered in all the museums of the world. It’s so obvious you cannot accept criticism, you are _far beyond_ it».

 

 

 

Shaken, for the first time in the history of a debate Seto could not find a countermove to that statement and frowned, trying to come up with something in an attempt to avoid accepting defeat, Seth’s laughter echoing in every recess of his mind and spirit.   
He had never regretted so much having brought the damned Millennium Item with him. With the gods’ favor, Seth would maybe forget about that burning comeback after a hundred years, or so.   
But at least, with Seth overcome by laughter instead of anguish, the feeling of never-ending negativity coming from him that usually permeated Seto was nowhere to be found.   
«I swear on everything dear to me, I’ll make you pay for this», he said after a long pause, a silence during which Yugi’s intense amethyst eyes never stopped staring at him, waiting for a new challenge to counter.   
Luckily, before Yugi could realize his implicit, but present, admission of a defeat to that verbal confrontation, the room service staff knocked on the door and entered the room after gaining permission, leaving an elegant trolley in the suite’s living room before going away with a respectful bow.

 

«Catch!», Seto exclaimed as a lone warning, before throwing a huge hamburger wrapped in several layer of food paper, and Yugi grabbed it just before it could make a perfect landing on the couch.   
Seto had opted for something simple, knowing they would have a good dinner, and hamburgers were Yugi’s favorite food after all.   
After recovering one for himself, he grabbed a pair of glasses and a bottle of water, and plopped back down on the couch, right beside Yugi.   
He never liked that kind of food in fast food restaurants, but when the quality was actually good, with fresh ingredients and no disgusting oils and fats, hamburgers and such were a good choice of meal.   
And besides, a freshly prepared hamburger with high quality meat and home-made sauce hid no secret ingredients harmful to anyone who dared to taste even a small bite.

 

 

 

«I guess I should have expected it. fast food that has nothing to do with fast food», Yugi said, chewing the first bite. «Still delicious though».  
The burger was noticeably of superior quality compared to greasy, fast food hamburgers filled with additives and who knew what kind of ingredients, with soft bread, crunchy lettuce and meat so tasty it didn’t need the help of extravagant and unhealthy sauces to stand out.   
Not surprising, though.   
Seto badly tolerated fast food, preferring more genuine foods, and had apparently came up with a good compromise.   
Seto answered that with a grunt, and the two quietly consumed their lunch without rushing. They were not going to be late, there was no need of hurrying.   
Atem, on his own, was still gazing at the snow outside, and Yugi could see him talking to someone he couldn’t see. Maybe Seth was finally out of his gold prison, and curiosity got the better of Yugi: «Hey, is Seth…».

 

 

 

«Yeah, he’s there. Looks like all this snow was a good enough reason to make him come out from this damn thing», Seto replied, catching the rest of the unspoken sentence.   
The Priest, still clad in his long, embroidered tunic, was standing beside Atem, from what Seto could imagine, and was talking to him in Middle Egyptian.   
«I’m not that taken aback, to tell the truth. Even someone like him couldn’t deny this place is worthy of glimpse».

 

 

 

Yugi nodded in agreement, and after gulping down even the last crumb of his hamburger, the man reached for the bottle and poured himself a glass of water, taking a long sip to counteract the thirst inflicted to him by the salty lunch.   
He then spotted his suitcase near the door and got up to retrieve it, transferring it in the bedroom once he found his way in there.   
«I’m going to change into something more comfortable. I’m definitely not dressed up for skiing», Yugi informed Seto, before stepping inside.

 

The bedroom was enormous, even more than the one Seto had at his mansion, and his appearance had nothing to envy to the Pharaoh’s private rooms.   
Unless the observer takes in the absence of hundreds of solid gold items and decorations, of course.   
Yugi noticed there was a TV also in that room, no less expensive than the huge screen in the other room, if only a bit smaller, but what caught his attention was far less annoying.  
With a smile, after connecting his phone via Bluetooth to small speakers scattered around the bedroom, Yugi selected one of his favorite songs and turned up the volume just enough to hear it, but to avoid it being heard in the other room, humming along the tune as he recovered his clothes from the suitcase.   
Enchanted by the music playing, Atem floated on the bed without touching the soft cover and rocked his head following the rhythm, widening Yugi’s smile in doing so.   
The music had been composed by Bakura, who had surprised everyone with that hidden talent beside his natural skill for theft, and the instruments playing it were very reminiscent of forgotten melodies from Ancient Egypt.   
They were melancholic and royal notes, pervaded with a harmless, charming illusion of magic, so engaging and beautiful anyone who listened could return to an ancient past, lost in the sands of desert, crumbled away like an old palace.   
Much to his own surprise, Yugi had soon learned to love that kind of music, not only because Atem valued those cheerfully sad tuned more than any other genre, but because those notes coming from the past instilled a long-searched sense of calm and tranquility, a serenity he had never experienced since his kidnapping.   
That music was able to transport him away, in another and much kinder live he had lived together with the Pharaoh. A life deprived of all the pain he had to endure just to fight the urge to die.   
Lost in those high and low notes, Yugi replaced his hoodie and black jeans with more appropriate clothing, something he had to borrow from Mokuba given he never went skiing, but luckily fitting.  
Despite the appearance and the warmness they gave off, those clothes were surprisingly light and really comfortable, although the bright colors were a bit unsettling to Yugi, used to wear mostly dark shades.   
On the opposite, Seto preferred a much more professional approach to it, and Yugi noticed he was already wearing an overly expensive ski suit, probably manufactured appositely for him.  
The gear Mokuba provided Yugi also included a pair of goggles, useful against the risk of getting blinded by sunlight reflecting on the snow, while Seto took care of giving him a pair of ski boots, because the ones Mokuba wore where too big for him.

 

 _“I thought you did not know how to ski”_ , Atem commented, glaring worried at the clothing worn by his partner. He had never seen such a weird apparel, not even on television.   
Not that he watched that much television anyway, Yugi had other things to do to pass time.   
Like wandering around in open world videogames or reading books when he got tired of flashing screens. And Duel Monsters, of course.   
_“It seems dangerous”_.

 

Yugi laughed, checking himself in the mirror hung on the wall: “I have literally no idea how to ski, Atem», he admitted, trying to keep his tone as serious as possible. «Pray to whatever god you prefer I’ll keep my balance”.

 

_“You what?! Why are we even here, then?!”._

 

“Oh, what’s the matter, are you afraid to wear long, possibly dangerous wood sticks on your feet, Pharaoh? Come on, it’s fun, sliding down the side of a mountain, rolling straight to the bottom if you fall, risking your life in the eventuality of an avalanche…”, Yugi replied, still serious.  
Only to burst out laughing a few seconds later, too amused by the confused and horrified expression plastered on Atem’s face.   
It surely wasn’t good news for an ancient Pharaoh, knowing his host was about to attack sticks to his feet to descend down a mountain slope, without having the slightest idea on how to do it.   
“I’m kidding, don’t worry», Yugi said, still out of breath for laughing too much. «Seto knows I don’t know how to ski. He’s going to teach me”, he added, stopping the music before disconnecting his phone.

 

 

 

«Yugi? Are you ready to go or…?».

 

 

 

Surprised by Seto’s sudden entrance, Yugi dropped the goggles he was holding an muttered a curse, picking them back up from the floor: «Sure, if you stored a lot of patience», he replied, nodding.   
«But I will hold you personally responsible if I end up finding myself at the end of the track with no skis on my feet and a damaged pride».

 

 

 

Seto snorted a laugh: «Oh, that would be a show I’m not going to miss», he said. «The great King of Games stripped of his pride after rolling down a mountain. Front page news, no doubt».  
When he had called Yugi, the night before, to invite him to spend Christmas at a ski resort, Seto hadn’t even considered the eventuality the man never learned how to ski.   
Even if, thinking back about it, the issue shouldn’t have surprised the CEO that much. Despite his many trips and tours around the world, after all, Yugi had said to him before he had never been to a ski resort or similar places.   
Seto knew his group had invited him skiing once, thanks to that Valentine girl idea, but he had been far too busy with work.  
He knew all of that, but still.  
«Oh, well. Look at the bright side of things».

 

 

 

«And that would be…?».

 

 

 

«We finally found something Atem absolutely cannot help you with».

 

 

 

 

 

After taking a lifetime to figure out how to get on the chairlift without seeming like an idiot, even by following the instruction given not only by Seto, but also by the operator, Yugi finally got to admire the landscape as they reached the trails, looking around while Atem constantly muttered worried words in his mind, agitated and impressed at the same time.   
The Pharaoh was still dazed by the amount of snow surrounding them, and was also a bit terrified of the dozens of people busy going down the trails with skis, snowboards and sleds.   
He was still muttering about how infernal those things seemed, not safe at all, when Yugi decided to silence him: “Cut it out, Pharaoh. You had much worse stuff back in your days», he told him. «Relax and try to have fun, it’s not that bad”.  
When the chair reached to top, Yugi was luckily aided by Seto in getting off the chairlift, and smiled: «Well, that was a disaster. And I wasn’t even wearing skis».   
His attention, while Seto went and recovered a pair of skis for him, was soon caught by a ski map littered with symbols.   
Curious, Yugi took his time to read the various definition, soon learning to distinguish trail difficulty by recognizing the corresponding symbol.

 

 _“I think you should go with the green”_ , Atem suggested, floating in mid air.

 

“What told you that? The fact it’s the beginner one?”, Yugi snickered, still astonished by the Pharaoh’s intense suspicion and weariness. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen you so distressed by such trivial things. It’s kind of hilarious”, he apologized.

 

 _“Yeah, well. Green one. Period”_ , he said, before disappearing in the Puzzle.

 

 

 

«Yugi!».  
Right after the man turned in his direction, Seto threw a pair of poles in his hands and then handed a pair of already separated skis to him, suited to his smaller build.   
He stepped into his own, carefully tucking the boots in the bindings, and proceeded to show Yugi how to do the same.   
«These are professional, you should have no problems if you fall. The skis should come off your feet, and you’ll avoid getting hurt», he explained, telling him to make sure he heard a clicking sound upon closing the bindings. «If you want to take them off, push down the lever you can see behind the boots. It’s easier if you do it with a pole».

 

 

 

«Is this the reason you didn’t want me to choose a pair?».

 

 

 

Seto nodded: «I didn’t want you to choose poor quality skis by mistake. Some models may prove to be faulty, I know something about it».  
With a sigh, he checked the binding on Yugi’s skis and straightened up, wearing his goggles: «Mokuba knows even more. He broke his legs after falling, all because he was using a cheap pair. I still have no idea why he used those instead of his own», Seto added, speaking more to himself than to Yugi for the last bit.   
That day Mokuba had to undergo a severe lecture from his brother, worried out of his mind, more so because the reckless stun hadn’t even been entirely his own fault.

 

 

 

Yugi frowned: «I thought you, spotless Kaiba brothers, didn’t accept anything but the best», he said, mocking him a little.

 

 

 

«Apparently, he made a stupid bet with his friends. And here I thought I had spent years teaching him to be responsible».

 

 

 

«Sure, coming from a person with the annoying habit of jumping out a Blue-Eyes plane. The most responsible man ever existed, indeed».

 

 

 

«Excuse me?».

 

 

 

Yugi laughed: «Let’s out it like this. You have a vision a little bit distorted about what’s responsible and what is not», he replied, amused by Seto’s betrayed expression.   
The, puzzled, he tried to lift one leg, balancing himself with the poles the CEO had given him: «So… now what? This things really seem like some kind of torture instruments».

 

 

 

Not impressed, Seto shook his head: «First of all, you have to learn the basic rules you should follow on trail», he said. «In particular, always remember the skier in front of you had the right of way, even if they fall. Be careful to avoid them, and keep a fair amount of distance to avoid incidents. Speed and trail difficulty is also is your responsibility, or you might end up seriously injured, or even dead if you crash. Don’t forget it.  
Another thing to remember, don’t stop on sections of the trail if the skier following you cannot see you from above. It’s not uncommon to stop on the slope, but if incoming people are unable to spot you, they could crash into you. Always try to pull over, instead of stopping in the middle», he thoroughly explained, glancing at the people around them.   
Among the adults, who were busy trying to keep them at bay, laughing kids were chasing each other while waiting for their turn on the sled.   
That scene reminded him of how happy Mokuba was when they first went skiing. That kid couldn’t stay still not even for a moment.   
Clearing his throat, he went back looking in amethyst eyes: «Now, let’s teach you how to stop. It’s not difficult, but you have to be careful and remember this method works better on less steep slopes. What you have to do – he showed Yugi, moving his feet to put the skis in the right position – is point the tip of your skis together, and push the heels out. The wider you spread them, the slower you go. But be careful not to overlay the tips, or you’ll end up losing control».   
Nodding in understanding, Yugi imitated him and hurried him to continue, concentrated.   
«All right, try walking now. You’ll have to, if you need to reach a ski lift or chairlift without carrying the skis by hand. Or in case of an emergency. It’s easy once you get the hang of it, keep the skis parallel and push yourself forward with the poles. Don’t try to lift the skis, and avoid alternating movements».  
As he explained, Seto showed him and walked away a few feet, urging Yugi to approach: «Let me see if you understood».

 

 

 

“Dammit, this is more complicated that I expected”, Yugi complained to Atem, using the poles to move forward.   
Seto made the whole thing seem like nothing special, but for Yugi was a much more difficult task, and when he finally reached him, he had stopped twice to relax his arms and the small distance took him way more time to cover.   
«How the hell do you move so fast? This shit is impossible!», he exclaimed.   
From deep inside the Puzzle, Atem fully supported that statement.

 

 

 

«You’ll get used to it», Set replied, half-smiling.   
It was fun seeing Yugi, so perfect according to worldwide media, struggling with something to simple and intuitive. «Mokuba used to say the same, and look at him now».  
Once he decided Yugi could move without the risk of falling or hurting himself, Seto pointed to the nearest trail with one of his poles: «If you end up in a situation in which you have to walk uphill, there are various ways to do so. You can try to side-step up, digging the uphill edges of the skis in the snow to take small steps, sideways, or use the herringbone technique. Basically, you forma  V shape with your skis, pointing the tips away from each other, and push forward. One more way, but this requires a lot more coordination and muscle, is to angle your skis while sliding forward and try to maintain a momentum. However, I don’t think you should try this yet, it’s way too challenging for a beginner».   
He went on a little bit more with his explanations, showing Yugi the correct movements as much as he could on the flat snow they were on, and smiled upon seeing the man trying to imitate him.   
That was a jump back in time, with the only difference being Seto would have never imagined seeing Yugi in Mokuba’s place.   
«Obviously, don’t try to climb anything if you’re not sure about it, and use the technique that works best for you», he added, after a while of trial and errors.

 

 

 

Yugi snorted: «I bet my Deck all your techniques are the most complicated in existence», he provoked him. «Seto Kaiba, next in line for the next Winter Olympics», he laughed.

 

 

 

The brunet raised an eyebrow: «You know what, Yugi? I can’t wait to film you as you fall down the side of this mountain. If you keep on joking around and don’t learn a correct posture, that’s something bound to happen», he replied, with no audible hesitation.   
Even though Yugi’s comment definitely made Seth laugh.   
«Don’t stand perfectly straight. Bend your knees and lean forward, the length of the skis will make falling forward unlikely. But avoid bending too much, or you won’t be able to balance your weight», he put in plain words, checking and supporting his posture as he talked.   
«Never lean backwards if you feel you’re losing control, it’s the best ways to make your skis harder to control. Also, if you want to use the poles, be sure to hold them on your sides, but for now you technically need them only to walk».

 

 

 

«How many times you fell?»

 

 

 

«…what?!».

 

 

 

Yugi smiled at Seto’s offended tone: «Oh, come on. You’re not going anywhere if you try to make me believe you never fell. So… how many times?».

 

 

 

Grumbling under his breath, Seto looked away: «A couple of times», he answered, feeling his face heating up. «Still less times than you», he added, disdainfully.   
Of course, he carefully avoided mentioning that time when, in a less than responsibly planned attempt, he had ended up crashing straight against a tree and lost both his skis.  
Mokuba still had fun teasing him about that.  
Embarrasses, and grateful to goggles and mask concealing his face, Seto regained his composure: «Remember to keep yourself from sliding around. You can spread your skis to avoid sliding forward of backward».  
He had absolutely no intention of allowing Yugi to divert the conversation and talk about his fails, and ignored the jokingly disappointed expression on his face as he resumed his lesson, explaining the best ways to turn: «Turning is a very important part of skiing, and all you have to do is point your feet in the direction you want to go. You should feel the ski cutting in the snow, rather than sliding over it. You can also stop this way, but it’s more difficult to learn how to», he concluded, moving on to another subject.  
Yugi needed to know the right way to fall without getting injured, a type of movement Seto would have gladly liked to know back when he had a really close up conversation with a tree trunk.   
«Try to always fall uphill, and never stop a fall with your arms. That’s something reckless to do, and you’ll probably end up with a broken arm. If you’re about to fall, don’t be tense and relax as much as possible, to avoid straining something. And if you can’t get back on your feet after falling, use both skis and poles as leverage».

 

 

 

«Fine, I got it. can we ski now or what? This thing is getting boring», Yugi complained, pouting.   
He knew those were necessary notions to know, but he was tired of Seto’s lessons. If he had wanted a whole class about skiing, he would have signed up for lessons with a proper instructor, or something like that.

 

 

 

In response, Seto grinned: «Anxious to test yourself, uh? Alright, I can’t blame you», he said, condescending. «But don’t come complain to me».  
With a smooth movement, he turned to face the nearest beginner trail (recognizable by a green circle) and told Yugi to follow, reaching the slope in a few moments.  
Yugi, on his own, took much more time to catch up, and glared at the CEO to reply to his malicious smile.  
«Let’s see how you handle it. Straight to the end, no stops along the way», he challenged him, preparing to follow. «I’m eager to know if the King of Games can keep his title even in sports».

 

 

 

«Mhpf, shut up and watch me», Yugi retorted, more self-confident than he was supposed to be.  
Following Seto’s suggestion, he leaned forward slightly and formed a slight “V” with his skis, not pushing himself forward with the poles when he started sliding down the trail.  
For a while, the exalting feeling of speed and wind pervaded him, along with the initial euphoria of being able to get to the end without falling, but before he could claim victory he heard Seto’s laugh, and ended up falling on flattened snow, his skis descending down the slope a bit more before coming to a halt.   
«Oh, fuck me», he cursed, getting back on his feet to retrieve them.   
A moment later, Seto stopped a short distance from him, so fluidly Yugi became even angrier: «Yeah, fine. I’m not going to hear you saying “I told you”. You were right», he grumbled, trying to step back in his skis.  
Obviously, he couldn’t, and had to remove bits of snow from his boots before being able to do so.   
«How do we get back up? Is there a chairlift or something?».

 

 

 

 

 

A few hours and many attempts later, Yugi had finally got the hang of the situation, and managed to keep up with Seto without losing his balance every now and then or slowing down too much because of incorrect posture.   
He had also stopped proceeding with frequent stops, accidentally holding himself back by using a wrong ski positioning, and was determined to do better until they would stop.   
He couldn’t let Seto win again, one defeat was more than enough.   
«See? I’m not that bad!», he exclaimed, surpassing him and turning along the trail.   
There was hardly anyone on the intermediate trail they had chosen, as it was one of the least difficult trails, but Yugi had the impression Seto wanted to avoid other skiers.   
Even though they looked almost unrecognizable, their features hidden by hat, goggles and mask, and covered from head to toe in ski attire, there still the possibility someone could recognize them and start spreading gossip.   
The situation was far different regarding their stay in the hotel, being it wasn’t that unlikely for them to be seen together in those places.   
Seto had taken his own time covering their holiday date by telling the staff they were there for business reasons, and the CEO didn’t chose such a refined place just to make his ego (and Yugi’s need of less technology) happy.  
The more people around them were wealthy, after all, the less anyone paid attention to a famous CEO and Duelist. And, for extremely rich people, especially people like Seto Kaiba, choosing bizarre places for business was not that uncommon.   
Pegasus was another fine example of that.   
It was Yugi had learned to understand, once he started living in that world full of vultures.  
They just had to be cautious and avoid catching someone’s hungry eye, because being noticed and let people become aware of the real purpose of that trip would not take long before triggering journalists and such.

 

 

 

«Not that bad, uh? We’ll see!», Seto replied, modifying his posture to offer less wind resistance.   
In the blink of an eye, he had already reached and overtook Yugi, zigzagging through various obstacles in tight turns, arriving at the end of the trail long before the King of Games.   
Suppressing a laugh, Seto removed his goggles and mask, tired of having the accessories pressing on his face, and smiled.   
Yugi joined him almost a minute later and pouted crossing his arms after lifting his goggles, making Seto laugh: «Don’t challenge someone you can’t defeat», he said.   
Still smiling, making sure no one was around, Seto approached Yugi and untangled his arms, grabbing his hand with his own and using the other one to caress his cheek, at the same time lowering the mask concealing his lower face: «You can ask a rematch whenever you want», he whispered, before bending over to kiss him, softly, in the snowy silence only sprinkled with the distant laugh and cries of other skiers.

 

 

 

Yugi melted in that kiss, standing on his tip-toes and sliding his free hand under Seto’s hat, tangling his fingers in brown locks, and for a while the irritation against the defeat dissipated, lost in that serenity.  
«Seto…».

 

 

 

«I love you, Yugi», he murmured, feeling Yugi’s smile on his lips a he leaned in for another, longer, deeper kiss, his sweet taste still lingering. «And I love you too, Atem».

 

 

 

The Pharaoh’s spirit flickered in Yugi’s mind, and Yugi seemed to shrink in Seto’s embrace, his arms enveloping Yugi’s smaller frame with no problems: «Let’s go back to the hotel… it’s getting late», he whispered, as if he was scared of breaking the calm of that precious moment.   
The light was beginning to fade as the sun set behind the mountains, and the increasingly cold air gave no relief, painfully entering the lungs and escaping as clouds.   
It was getting dark.

 

 

 

 

 

«I’m not accepting that as a defeat. Let’s say it was a draw», Yugi tried to bargain when the heated suite finally replaced the cold outside wind. «It took me less time that you expected to learn».  
After leaving his ski boots near the door, to avoid dragging snow and making puddles everywhere, Yugi threw all the accessories he had on his face on the coffee table and took off his ski jacket, on which snow residue was beginning to melt.   
Fake flames burned in the electric fireplace, a lovely illusion of coziness, but the heat  emanated by it was real enough to convince Yugi to plop down the nearby chair and warm his hands, his fingers cold despite wearing thick gloves.

 

 

 

Seto shook his head, unbelieving, and imitated Yugi after removing all the items of clothing no longer needed. The overall suit was still kind of a bother to move around in the suite, but he was tired and didn’t want to change in comfy clothes just to change again to wear appropriate dinner clothing.   
«Just accept your loss, for once. Just because you have a Pharaoh in you head doesn’t mean you can win everything my right», he replied after a while, with a crooked smile. «Sure, you did improve your skill in way less time I thought you could, but not enough to claim a draw».

 

 

 

«Uff…».  
Puffin in annoyance, Yugi smiled and rubbed his hands together, the frustrating feeling of not having finger anymore dissipating thanks to the heat: «We should take a shower before going downstairs», he suggested. «I surely need one».  
Seto nodded in agreement, so Yugi lingered only a little more near the fireplace before getting up and heading to the bathroom.   
That room as huge, easily as big as his bedroom back at home, but he got so used to seeing pretentious places in all his trips the thing ceased to surprise him.  
Once located everything he needed, Yugi turned on the water and waited for it to reach a warm temperature. A few minutes later the room was flooded with pleasant steam, and Yugi was soon joined by Seto.  
Taking off their clothes, recklessly abandoned on the floor, they stepped into the shower and Yugi let out a satisfied sigh as hot water ran down his body, still bothered by shivers and being a pleasant solution to the cold penetrated right into his bones.   
He was so relaxed he didn’t realize Seto’s movements behind him: «Woah! What are you doing?!».

 

 

 

With no warning, Seto had wrapped his arms around Yugi’s chest, his wide palms open to caress the man’s pale skin. Humming happily, Seto leaned forward and left a trail of delicate kisses on his neck and shoulders, ignoring the water flowing down in thin streams on his cheeks and bothering his eyes.   
A long time had passed since the last time Seto had dared something more than that, and although he wanted to test the waters, he stopped his ministrations and didn’t go too far as he felt Yugi’s muscles stiffen with tension.   
Sighing, the CEO pulled back and simply held Yugi to himself, trapping his smaller body in a protective hug. Seto knew Yugi was still holding back because he was scared, and he didn’t want to force anything on him. After all, he had an incredible amount of patience in dealing with a stubborn and confused CEO, and Seto wanted to return his kindness.   
«I’m sorry», he whispered, his voice barely audible above the shower’s noise. «I didn’t mean to».

 

 

 

Yugi shook reassuringly his head and smiled, nuzzling his neck: «You didn’t do anything wrong», he assured him, grabbing one of Seto’s hands, the one whose open palm was resting above his beating heart.   
Still smiling, he brought it to his face and kissed the palm, gently: «I love you, Seto. Don’t forget it».

 

Half an hour later, wrapped in soft, heavy towels, Seto and Yugi had moved from the hot bathroom to the bedroom.   
Yugi, hair still damp, was diving head first in his suitcase, busy trying to locate and recover appropriate clothes for a restaurant.   
He didn’t want to look too elegant or formal, but especially not shabby or careless, not in a place crowded with “rich snobs” as Joey would have called them.  
Letting out a triumphant exclamation, he finally recovered a pair of black pants and a shirt of the same color, subtly embroidered with golden threads in the form of hieroglyphics.  
He had so many clothes hiding Ancient Egypt inspiration, and several times Joey and Tristan had mockingly harassed him on the matter.   
At least until one particular Halloween, during which Yugi showed up at Ryou’s party fully dressed in Pharaoh attire, crown included.   
On that occasion not only the Ishtar family (all in Domino following an exhibition) had risked multiple heart attacks, but Tristan and Joey kept their mouth shut for the rest of the year, Tea had a pretty confused crisis and hadn’t been able to look at him, and Seto (who had showed up just because of Mokuba) had been on the verge of tears.   
Looking back, Yugi felt guilty for having done so, but Atem often reminded him not to worry. That had been, after all, the funniest thing ever, though it might have seemed mean.  
«Hey, Seto, have you seen m-oh, shit».  
The words died in his throat, unable to become fully constructed sounds, when he turned around to look at the CEO.  
Seto was wearing one of his usual white suits, but the dark shirt messily open on his chest and his brown locks still rebellious transformed the man in front of Yugi in a heavenly and prohibited vision.   
The King of Games swallowed dry, charmed by the slender figure that stood before his eyes, toned muscles visible under pale skin, marked here and there with even paler scars.

 

 

 

«Yugi, what…?».

 

 

 

He shook his head, baffled: «Nothing, I… I found it», he said, pulling out it belt from the suitcases, buckling it.   
Still unbelievably stunned, Yugi grabbed his comb and headed back to the bathroom, wiping the mirror still fogged, and sighed as he tried to give some kind of shape to his unruly hair, as rebel as ever.  
With the help of a good dose of hair gel, courtesy of the hotel’s supply, Yugi slicked back his hair and forced them to stay down as best as he could, praying the expedient worked.   
The last time he had done such thing, for a big meeting at KaibaCorp., he had left behind less than a half bottle of gel.   
And that case was no exception.  
When his rebellious hair were styled enough to remain flat, except for long, gold locks in his face, Yugi’s arm was hurting and the hotel found itself losing an entire bottle of ultra-strong hair gel.

 

_“Daring decision, uh?”._

 

Yugi snorted at Atem’s comment: «Sometimes is worth it. And I’m at least going to attract less attention, I don’t care if people mind me or not», he replied. «Even though I’m pretty sure Seto has already arranged a private table. He always gets his way, even in this kind of places».

 

 

 

«Are you ready, Yugi? It’s almost… eig-ht…».  
Seto’s heart missed a beat when the man saw Yugi’s reflection in the mirror, even before realizing what he was looking at.  
The same exact thing that had happened to him weeks prior, and every single time he so Yugi so… different. So fascinating, so unlike his usual self.   
«Yugi, you are…».  
Swallowing dry, the CEO approached with small steps, hypnotized by that divine being embodied in a mortal body, pure depiction of a shining Pharaoh stolen from Ancient Egypt.   
With a disbelieving smile and tears of joy in his eyes, Seto raised his hands on Yugi’s face: «You’re… beautiful», he whispered, bewitched. «So beautiful».

 

 

 

Feeling his cheeks burn, Yugi looked away from Seto’s piercing blue eyes, and curved his lips in a smile too: «Don’t get used to it», he told him, amused and delighted at the same time. «It’s too much work».

 

 

 

Seto softened his smile and leaned forward, touching Yugi’s forehead with his own: «That’s okay», he murmured. «You’re always beautiful».  
A star shining in the deepest darkness, but made of darkness itself.   
After a wonderfully  interminable moment, Seto cleared his throat and broke the atmosphere, straightening his back.   
He was very much aware his cheeks were as red as Atem’s crimson eyes, but he decided to ignore the feeling: «So, we’re going?».

 

 

 

Yugi nodded, taking a deep breath: «Yeah. I’m starving».

 

 

 

 

 

As Yugi predicted, as soon as they set foot in restaurant Seto approached one of the waiters and exchanged a few words with him, subsequently being  escorted to a rather isolated table, hidden from view either by its position and an elegant, finely carved wooden divider.   
Like every table, on their was burning a scented candle (probably recently lit judging by the absence of melted wax), and the surface was covered with very fine red tablecloths, in stark contrast with immaculate dishes and sparkling silverware and light chopsticks.   
Seto thanked the waiter and motioned for Yugi to sit down, and he complied after looking around for a moment.  
The room was beautifully furnished, lit by dazzling chandeliers and decorated with huge paintings. A good fair number of other tables were already hosting the first guests of the evening.   
«You know, what? Your name’s really starting to scare me», Yugi commented. «Not even Pegasus could get a private table in a place like this».

 

 

 

Seto snorted, amused: «uneasiness and subjection can be powerful weapons, if you know how to use them», he replied, eyeing the menu neatly piled on the table. A small dossier of refined sheets, bound in black. Nothing particularly shocking.   
«I convinced them to make an exception. You don’t host both Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto in the same resort. «Choose something, they specialize in Japanese cuisine. Nothing too weird for your taste».

 

 

 

«You surprise me every time, Seto», Yugi thanked him, happy to have a variety of choices for once related to his knowledge.   
He did like to try new flavors, but throwing himself on something totally unknown or too bizarre left Yugi somewhat reluctant. Even if the Egyptian cuisine had met his unconditional favor since the first taste.  
«Why did you choose a ski resort, anyway? It’s an obvious choice, too obvious, in fact», he asked, not willing to criticize but genuinely curious. «I thought you’d suggest something more… well, Kaiba. Even taking into account your consideration for my desire to take a break from your hyper-tech stuff».

 

 

 

«Ah, that’s funny».  
Seto glared at him from above the menu, but he wasn’t offended: «I know what you mean. It’s just… I don’t know. Honestly, I heavily relied on Mokuba for help with this… this date». There, he said it. «He advised me on various options, and I ended up choosing this one. But the reason, well…».  
Undecided about what to say, Seto paused for a moment to think about it, the fingers of his free hand tapping nervously on the table.   
Why that place?  
Seto had never been an excellence in that sport. He was good at skiing, but not enough to be proud of. The only reason he insisted on go skiing was because Mokuba loved stepping on a snowboard to slide down a slope.   
And the only reason he insisted so much on wanting to be surrounded by mountains covered in icy snow, especially in his young years, was to contrast the absurd memories coming from Seth, bits and pieces of nonsense that tormented him with no plausible explanation.   
The more Seto dreamed of dry desert heat and sand, the more he wanted to throw himself in ice and snow.   
But why he had decided to take Yugi there?  
«I chose this place, Yugi, because it reminds me of my happiest memories. My old memories, of when I was still a child. When I learned to ski, and my parents were still alive, and loved us. When I had fun chasing Mokuba, keeping him from getting hurt».  
Curving his lips in a sad smile as he recollected those thoughts, Seto let go of the menu and reached out to grab Yugi’s hand, looking straight into those shining, blood-stained crystals he had in place of dull eyes: «I chose this place, Yugi, because I want to add new to the ones I already have. Because I want to write down more happiness, following that feeling left behind years ago.  
I chose this place, Yugi, because it makes me feel happy. And I don’t want to feel any other way, when I’m with you».

 

He still remembered that.  
That carefree laughter of two children, unsuspecting of the horrible tragedy about to hit them.  
That amused laughter of two children having fun in the snow, plunging in those few piles not flattened by skiers, sinking in the white cold until they disappeared from sight.   
That innocent laughter of two children sliding down a slope until they fell, riding a sled too small for both of them.  
And in front of him, there was a smile he was willing to add to those memories.   
Seto had chosen that place because, although it wasn’t the same one he used to visit alongside his parents, it reminded him of those happy and naïve times. And he wanted to spend happy times with Yugi, no matter the difficulties they’ve got through.   
After a while, realizing the true weight of his words, Seto averted his gaze and withdrew his hand, raising the menu back to his face: «I’m sorry, I… I didn’t want to sound so…».

 

 

 

«So happy?».  
Yugi widened his smile, supportive: «Don’t be sorry for being happy. Those are good memories. I’m grateful you want me to be part of that, even in such a different way», he said, softly. «I really am».  
To give Seto some space to think, Yugi avoided further commentary and focused his attention on the thin lines of text of the menu.   
The selection was really good, and offered a good variety of dished with high quality ingredients, all listed on the side. And again, Yugi knew he wasn’t supposed to expect nothing less. If those dishes were half as good as the burger he hate for lunch, that place had amazingly good cooks.   
In the end, his decision fell on one of the most traditional dished consumed in Japan during winter, simple and maybe too common but amongst his favorite for the season, oden.   
Yugi had never refused a bowl of warm, tasty oden in winter, whether it was a restaurant or a cart in Domino Plaza. He knew he had chosen something way too ordinary for the environment he was in, but he couldn’t care less.   
He was, instead, pretty surprised to even see that kind of dish on the menu. Normally, luxury places served mostly elaborated dishes or less common ones.   
Once decided what to add to his oden, following the list on the menu and choosing yude-tamago, kombu, tofu and daikon, Yugi put the thing down and glanced at Seto: «So? What are you having?».

 

 

 

«Nabemono», he answered. «I want to stick to something traditional, just this time».

 

 

 

Yugi nodded, Seto was known for having a preference for American or Italian cuisine, instead of sticking to Japanese traditional dishes. Mokuba was more of that idea, though.   
«I’m having oden. More traditional than this there’s only fried chicken», he said, stifling a laugh. «I’m not cut-out for classy restaurants. And I’ve been in a ton of them».

 

 

 

«Give yourself another couple years», Seto laughed, gesturing towards a waiter, a young man so polished and stiff he almost looked fake.   
Just a second, and the CEO had already lost his sweet smile in favor of a more neutral expression, and told the waiter their orders without wasting time nor keeping him at their table. In addition, after having been advised more for good manner than anything else, Seto added some sake to their dinner and the waiter finally moved away.  
The atmosphere was getting heavier, as more people crowed the dining room, but their private corner was quiet enough, free from random chattering and complaints.   
«We’re going to step into the light», Seto promised, his words almost lost in silence. «Hiding is for the weak».

 

 

 

Yugi put his hands on Seto’s, careful to check if the waiter was coming back, and gave him a sympathetic and kind smile: «Don’t overthink, Seto. It’s alright like this», he assured him, gently caressing the back of his hand. «We’re not in a hurry».   
Noticing the waiter’s return, Yugi reluctantly withdrew his hand and watched as a small porcelain teapot filled with sake was put on the table, following Seto’s request.   
Then, once alone again, Yugi resumed what he was doing, drawing imaginary spirals and shapes on Seto’s hand: «You know, I thought about it».

 

 

 

Perplexed, Seto frowned: «Thought about what?».

 

 

 

Yugi smiled softly, his gaze low and focused on the figures he was drawing on the CEO’s and: «About what you told me. Your proposal», he replied. «About when you asked me to move in together».  
He raised his eyes, meeting shiny sapphires set in Seto’s face.

 

 

 

«Yugi…».

 

 

 

He silenced him with a wave of his hand, the one not busy drawing what had become a single hieroglyphic: «It wasn’t easy. Making a decision about that. Your proposal was so sudden… so unexpected. I honestly didn’t think it would come so soon, not from you. And I’m not insulting you, be aware of this. You’ve made tremendous progress since the first time you told me you loved me, and I absolutely don’t mind being patient. That’s why that proposal surprised me. Genuinely surprised me».  
A sigh, and another hieroglyph, repeated and overlaid on his skin: _mrj_.  
Seto didn’t speak, so Yugi resumed his speech, again lowering his gaze: «At first I didn’t know what to think of it. I even had no idea on how to start thinking about it, let alone make a decision. I didn’t want to hurt you, nor to choose a reckless alternative that would have turned against me. I was so afraid of making a mistake, so helpless. I couldn’t even rely on Atem. So I asked for advice, I asked someone who, as I thought, knows more than me. Despite our fight, Joey helped me open my eyes, so I began to evaluate the two options I had. Accept your proposal and be happy for myself, or refuse and wait, and be happy for someone else».  
Another hieroglyphic, another pause, just long enough for a quick glance to make sure no one was approaching.   
Then, Yugi smiled more happily: «It was the most difficult decision of my life, I’m not even joking. Even that last strike against Atem, during our Ceremonial Duel, had been a decision simpler than this. But I think I made the right choice».

 

 

 

Seto swallowed, suddenly deaf to the muffled chatter crossing the environment around them.  
He hadn’t thought about the concrete possibility he could receive an answer so quickly.   
What if Yugi had decided to refuse? Would Seto  be able to accept that choice without being resentful?  
He was so frightened by the idea of having made a terrible mistake in proposing him that he hardly noticed Yugi’s tender smile while he cradled his trembling hands, still engraving that hieroglyphic on his skin stroke after stroke.   
_Mrj_.  
Love.   
«What it your choice, Yugi?», he finally found the courage to ask.

 

 

 

Squeezing Seto’s hand in his own, Yugi drew it to his lips and left soft kisses on each knuckle, never losing his smile: «My choice, imi-ib… I think you’ll have to put up with an even more annoying person. I’m coming to your mansion», he replied, unable to restrain a laugh upon seeing the CEO’s stunned expression.

 

 

 

«You want to…».

 

 

 

«I love you, Seto. I’m not going to put my feelings aside just because I worry too much about other people. If you haven’t changed your mind, I want to move in with you», he said, interrupting him.

 

 

 

Incredulous, Seto couldn’t help smiling, hell, laughing, feeling his heart so light and at the same time so alive, like never before: «Yugi, I… I don’t know how to… oh, fuck this», he swore, hiding his face with his free hand, his cheeks burning hot. «Couldn’t you wait to get out of here before telling me?!».

 

 

 

Yugi giggled at the defensive tone assumed by Seto, and winked at him: «Let’s put it this way. Such a thing has to be said while being sober», he said, withdrawing both his hands as the waiter returned to their table. «And looking at that sake, I can assure you, I won’t be».  
Keeping the waiter’s attention away from Seto, Yugi thanked him for the service and took in the inviting smell of his oden, at first sight already delicious.  
The ingredients were so well arranged in the bowl, floating in seasoned broth, Yugi had no doubt every single one was put in there by hand. Preferring chopsticks to silverware, Yugi grabbed a piece of cubed tofu and tasted it, savoring its incredible consistency and its enhanced flavor.   
Quite the difference, compared to oden sold in carts and stands in Domino.  
Seto, on the other hand, had finally regained his usual composure and was tasting his own dish, a mixture of various foods mixed in harmony with each other, colorful and appetizing.   
Curious, Yugi stretched out his arm and grabbed a very thin slice of beef from Seto’s bowl, or pot as the dish was served in the same pot it had been cooked in, and almost regretted not having chosen the same thing.   
It was so delicious and well prepared the meat didn’t even need to be chewed.   
«Okay, next time I know what I’m going to eat», he said. «No, you know what? _Tomorrow_ I know what I’m going to eat. We’re staying here until I have that thing for lunch», Yugi added, not failing to notice the charmed smile on Seto’s lips at those words.

 

 

 

«It’s not my fault you didn’t ask for advice, before ordering», was the reply. «Wait, is that you way of saying you want to stay?».

 

 

 

Yugi nodded, tasting the sake he had just poured himself. The tiny cup was so delicate he was afraid of breaking it.   
«We might as well stay, right? We have a two days reservation, after all. I know you wanted to get back on your plane by tomorrow morning, but I kinda want to go back on the trail and give you a lesson», he said, shaking his head with an upset snort as he felt the strong flavor on his tongue.

 

 

 

«A lesson, uh? You have to finish yours, first», Seto replied, imitating Yugi in pouring himself some sake. The liquor had a very pungent odor, a strong and peculiar one, but it was still appreciable.

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the dinner passed between small talk, and as their food satiated them, Yugi realized he was starting to feel dizzy, his head lighter than the usual, and he was laughing a bit too much at Seto’s words.   
However, he shook off the feeling and paid no attention to it, ignoring the weird amused light in Seto’s eyes and caring even less about Atem’s warnings.  
And he poured himself the last drops of sake, emptying the finely decorated teapot.

 

 

 

«Ehm, Yugi…?».  
Confused and bewildered, Seto had weighed the idea of keeping an eye on the amount of alcohol Yugi was ingesting during dinner, but he had decided not to intervene.   
Not that he really wanted to see him getting drunk, and besides that sake wasn’t enough to k.o. him even considering his poor tolerance, but… a tipsy Yugi was definitely not a common sight.   
However, he figured making sure he was still sober enough to stand was a high priority.   
«Do you want something else?».

 

 

 

Yugi shook his head, gulping down the last sip of sake. The taste wasn’t even that bad anymore, he had to admit.   
«We can go back…»,  he suggested, trailing off as he lost himself in Seto’s deep oceanic eyes. «Yeah, we can go back to our suite».

 

 

 

Seto barely suppressed a laugh: «Yugi…? Earth to Yugi!», he snapped two fingers in front of his face. «Are you sure you’re okay?, he asked, keeping an eye on his movements.   
They were definitely less fluid than usual, even if it didn’t seem that bad at first glance. But Seto didn’t miss how Yugi almost knocked down a glass, nor the slight indecision of his steps.   
He wasn’t drunk, but he got close. No doubt.

 

 _“You know, Atem was ten times worse than that. Just one beer and he was out cold”_.

 

“Shut up, Seth”.

 

Not that picturing the great Pharaoh of Egypt, the mightiest authority of his time, was nothing but absolutely comical, but he had a present problem to deal with.   
«Fine, let’s go back to our room», Seto agreed, fighting the urge to take Yugi by the hand; they were still in a crowded room, though the restaurant was considerably emptier.  
Keeping a careful eye on Yugi, the CEO walked briskly across the hall and dragged him into the elevator as soon as the doors opened, grateful there was nobody behind them.   
Yugi, as a matter of fact, was still giggling, amused by who knew what kind of sorcery.

 

«You’re really sure you’re not… Yugi?!».  
Caught off guard, Seto found himself suddenly with his faces only a mere inch away from Yugi’s, who was standing on his tip-toes and had taken advantage of his distraction to lace both hand behind his neck and pull him down, crashing their lips together in an unexpected, crazy kiss.   
If someone had called the elevator…

 

 

 

Still in the tight grip of unexplained hilarity, especially given Seto’s outraged expression, Yugi broke the kiss and moved his hands from Seto’s neck to his shoulders, those shapes made even more pronounced by the perfect cut of the clothes hiding his body.   
With the most licentious gaze he could pull off, Yugi moved his lips from Seto’s mouth to his ear, nibbling at the lobe: «Oh, I’m perfectly fine», he whispered, making the CEO shudder under his grip. «And you?».

 

 

 

Seto swallowed dry, crossed by a stream of different overwhelming emotions, prisoner of Yugi’s voice and intentions.   
Someone could seen them, or worse, photograph them and tell the public about their secret relationship.   
Common sense was telling Seto to calm Yugi down and back up, but…  
«Oh, fuck it», he murmured under his breath, scattering all his worries at once, and he effortlessly lifted Yugi.   
The man, as expected, tied his legs around Seto’s waist and kissed him, his hands clinging to his brown hair and pulling short locks, their tongues intertwined and fighting a sweet battle for supremacy neither won.  
The taste of bitter sake was still lingering in Yugi’s mouth, as Seto explored it with his tongue, licking his lips during the small pauses to breathe.   
The heat of the moment pushed Seto with his back against the elevator doors, and when they opened the CEO backed up in the corridor, blindly looking for the numeric keypad to enter the code for their suite.

 

 

 

Stumbling into the room, Seto had already brought Yugi to their elegant bedroom, still devouring his lips as the King of Games found himself with his back on the soft mattress, dominated by the CEO and submissive to the dozens of kisses he was leaving on his face and neck, in a trail burning like fire but unquestionably more pleasant.   
Feeling his skin burning, lost in heated passion, Yugi dragged Seto into another long kiss, shameless, deep and wet. Yugi felt Seto moaning in that kiss, and deepened it even more, prey of sensations and instincts stronger than his will.  
They were short of breath as they parted, lungs begging for air, and Yugi arched his neck to give Seto more space to work with, letting him continue his long trail of kisses, as he bit and sucked sensitive skin, close to marking him as his own possession.   
That alcohol induced euphoria was making Yugi crazy, he knew that, but the man could not help but let out a satisfied and wanton sigh as Seto’s skilled hands removed his Puzzle and jacked, fondling with the buttons of his shirt to open them and make room for inquiring and caressing fingers on exposed skin.  
«Seto…».

 

 

 

«Gods, you’re so beautiful…», he whispered in return, his voice hoarse, still leaving light kisses on Yugi’s skin, lingering on pale scars, savoring the moment on which for weeks, no, months, he had not been allowed to indulge.   
He felt Yugi’s heart, alive and energetic, frantic beating beneath his lips as he licked one of his nipples, teasing the other one with slender fingers, earning more than a single moan from Yugi’s swollen lips, his nails scratching on the CEO’s shoulders.   
Yugi’s body was something he knew by heart, he didn’t need to focus on his movements. Seto could easily let his feral instinct take over him, he could drown in his own desire for the man breathing heavily under him, urging him to continue.  
Yugi moaned his name, trembling under every touch and caress, and Seto went back to his face, to his lips, kissing him again and again, lost in a spiral of impulsive and irrepressible attraction and lust. All because of that person, the Pharaoh, the King, the kind-hearted young man who stole his heart and rationality.   
Inside of him, powerful and enthralling as the flood of the river Nile, Seth’s emotions exploded in a golden blaze, ad Yugi’s eyes reflected Atem’s brilliance, glistening with craving and searing like rubes in the sunlight.   
Seto threw Yugi’s shirt on the floor and took off his own, tired of that damned piece of clothing, suffocating him just like the jacket already abandoned somewhere in the room.   
Trapped in burning chains of craze and excitement, he shuddered and let a stifled moan slip through his lips as Yugi’s hands explored his chest, feeling perfect muscles under even paler and more scarred skin. Seto sighed as the touch became more resolute, more possessive, as nails dug into his flesh and fingers teased him.

 

But Seto was afraid.   
Worming its way in that cacophony of emotions and sensation, the fear of inadvertently hurt Yugi infiltrated his mind, whispering to him, begging him to stop what he was doing, not to go any further.   
Seto was afraid of sliding his hands and fingers further down, beyond Yugi’s waistband, and kept them on his hips, caressing exposed skin with possessive tenderness.   
He didn’t touch him, not even when Yugi’s hands slithered down and snatched a strangled groan from Seto, as he felt the man touching his trapped erection.   
Yugi wasn’t clear headed. He wasn’t fully realizing what he was doing.   
And, even though Seto wanted to go further, even though Yugi’s fingers had already found their way to make him tremble with excitement, he couldn’t allow it.   
«Yugi… Yugi, no. Wait».  
Giving no signs of having heard that, Yugi ignored Seto’s warning and unbuckled his belt, but the man didn’t let him have his way.  
Reluctantly repressing his frenzied hunger, Seto grabbed Yugi’s wrists and pulled his hands away from his crotch, sitting up with the smaller man on his lap: «Yugi, you’re not lucid. I’m not going to do it».

 

 

 

Yugi groaned in displeasure, pouting: «But Seto, I _want_ to have sex with you! Come on, you’re chickening your way out!».

 

 

 

«No, I’m not», Seto replied. «I want to, I swear, but I’m not going to have sex with you while you’re in this state», he added, authoritative.  
As much as he wanted to appear daring and brave, Yugi wasn’t really feeling like that. Seto had realized it too late, prey to his own greed.   
«I know you _would like_ to do it, Yugi. But I also know you’re going to regret this, afterwards». Seto felt so stupid, he could remember perfectly every single nightmare Yugi had about sex. «I shouldn’t have let you drink that much. I’ve been a fucking idiot», he said, shaking his head.  
When he saw the wounded expression in Yugi’s eyes, wet with tears, Seto cursed himself: «Listen, I want to do it with you. I want to hear your voice calling my name, I want to scream yours with the same intensity. But…».  
Undecided, he let go of Yugi’s wrists and raised both hands to his face, palms resting on burning cheeks: «I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to go all the way to the end, just to find out this night was the result of confused feelings. I have to be sure you really want it», he murmured on his lips, before kissing him gently, enclosing his smaller frame in a hug.  
They stayed like that, motionless if not for the rhythmic movement of their shoulder as they breathed, silent if not for the loud beating of their hearts.   
For an endless time, according to Seto.  
Just enough to let Yugi close his eyes, cradled to sleep and away from passion, as the clock on the wall chimed midnight.   
«Merry Christmas, Yugi. Forgive me».

 

 

 

 

 

Raising an arms to shield his face from an inclement ray of sunshine, Yugi yawned and opened his eyes in the dim light of the bedroom, his features distorted in a grimace and feeling disoriented.   
Trying to find Seto by feel around with his other hand, he discovered the other side of the bed was empty as fingers only met crumpled sheets.  
«Seto, where…?»  
Sitting up, Yugi rubbed his eyes and forced himself to focus on the room, realizing only in that moment the state of disaster the place was in.   
On the carpeted floor, scattered randomly here and there, most of their clothes stood out, while a solitary shoe rested near the door. The rest was carefully folded on a chair, white against black.  
Yugi didn’t take long to reconnect everything, and cursed himself upon remembering how stupid his behavior had been the night before.   
“You did nothing to stop me, Pharaoh…? Why?», he asked Atem, befuddled, grabbing the Puzzle from his spot on the bedside table.  
The spirit failed to manifest, and Yugi felt guilt radiate from the Item, and echoing in the depths of his soul: «Atem…?».

 

 _“I am sorry, Yugi”_ , he finally replied, forcing the words out. _“I got carried away by your feelings, and… and I could  not stop you. I… I did not want to”_ , the Pharaoh admitted.  
_“My actions are unforgivable”_.

 

Yugi sighed, feeling more sympathetic than even: “That’s not true. I just… I know you’re missing… you understand», he countered, gently speaking. He wasn’t going to blame him. He couldn’t.   
Even if Atem wanted to protect him, he too had his own feelings and instincts, and Yugi knew repressing them wasn’t an option, in some cases.

 

 _“I will not deny that. But you were not fully understanding your actions. It was not fair to you, I should have been more resolute. Instead, I just let yearn and desire get the best of me”_.  
Atem didn’t want to be justified, he didn’t deserve that.

 

“What do you want me to say? I can’t get mad at you, I was as mad as you”.  
A sigh, and Yugi slipped the Puzzle’s chain around his neck, shivering at the contact of ice cold gold on his skin: “What’s done is done. I have no resentment towards you, but… I’m glad you held back and didn’t take over”.

 

Atem instinctively retreated to those words: “ _I swore that would never happen again. I would have never taken back my word”_.

 

“I know”, Yugi reassured him. “I trust you”.

 

Once located his hoodie, whose sleeve peeked out of a suitcase left half-open, Yugi forced himself to get out of bed and leave the warm embrace of fine sheets, to wear it and go look for Seto.  
A hunt that didn’t take too long, since the CEO had simply moved from bedroom to living room, at first sight busy watching a TV show or something similar.   
His eyes, however, instead of following moving pictures, were fixed on one spot of the screen, and the illusion didn’t deceive Yugi.  
«Seto? Are you okay?».

 

 

 

Relieved upon hearing Yugi’s voice, in a normal tone finally deprived of unexplainable hilarity and immorality, Seto grunted an affirmative statement, but didn’t say anything else.   
He had been awake almost all night, unable to restrain endless strings of thoughts.   
Yugi’s behavior had tormented him, seared in his brain, impossible to drive off and more annoying than a fly.   
Seto had realized the mistake, that time. But if he hadn’t? If he had thrown away reason and care?  
How could he turn around and look Yugi in the eyes, if the lingering thought of deceiving him to follow his instincts was still alive in his mind?

 

After tucking in a sound asleep Yugi, Seto had to run away from him, still prisoner of pleasure, still turned on by contrasting feeling that refused to take their hands off him.   
With his hands still shaking, Seto had carried on Yugi’s ministrations by himself, stifling groans and moan growing louder with each flick of his wrist, each stroke of his hand tightly closed around his dick, until he came with Yugi’s name on the lips and shameful tears in blue eyes.   
Seto had feel a sharp sense of guilt for doing so, unbelieving and frightened by his own reactions, and refused to go back to bed.  
He didn’t want to tell Yugi, to admit he had become so weak, so pathetic against flesh desires. So helpless in front of an angelic face, at the same time fascinating and intimidating.   
He fell. He lost.   
«I should have paid more attention», he finally said, his gaze still staring into the void. «I almost did it. I almost hurt you».

 

 

 

«No, Seto».  
Immediately taking the hint, Yugi sat down next to him and raised his hand on Seto’s face, forcing him to turn his head and look into crimson streaked eyes: « _I_ should have paid more attention», Yugi objected. « _My_ behavior was irresponsible, not yours».  
Sighing, Yugi realized Seto was trying to shake his head in denial, and dropped a hand on the CEO’s: «I am grateful for what you did. You were right, I’m still not ready. I don’t really feel like having sex with you. I want to, but I’m still afraid of it. But that wasn’t your fault».

 

 

 

Seto looked down, not feeling less guilty: «What if… I could have been far less responsible. What would have happened if…».

 

 

 

«You would still bear no fault whatsoever», Yugi interrupted him, already knowing what Seto wanted to say.   
What if he had gone all the way until the end?   
He wanted to take a step back, frightened by their relationship and by any mistakes he could have made. Seto still wasn’t able to handle their situation, despite his confident appearance.   
«I’m grateful to you for stopping me and yourself. But I wouldn’t have blamed you, if you had chosen to have sex with me. I wasn’t really holding myself back, quite the contrary. I’m the one who has to apologize, if anything», he said, carefully weighing his words.   
And not because he just wanted to reassure him.   
Yugi was aware of how much the thing would have make him suffer, potentially fueling his recurring nightmares, but he wanted to.   
He wasn’t ready to go back having sex with Seto, but he wanted to. He craved those feelings, even while being afraid of them.   
«Don’t feel guilty if you liked it. I know you did. The opposite would be strange, in fact», he then added, shivering as he recollected Seto’s fingers fluttering on his skin, pleasure tainted by the faces of his torturers and bloodstains. «Smile, Seto. It’s still Christmas, after all».

 

 

 

«Yeah, and you look like the Grinch», Seto retorted, lightening up a little. «You’d better fix that problem, or you could scare the kids off».  
As Yugi rushed to the bathroom, Seto called room service and sank into the couch, the gear in his mind still turning and working.   
Seto knew Yugi could read into him, his words had proven that, but the CEO was still scared. That irresponsibility could happen again, especially because they were going to start living under the same roof. Until Yugi was ready to feel again, Seto could hold back or he couldn’t. He didn’t know how strong-willed he was. Not yet.   
He almost began wishing he had received another answer.

 

 

 

 

«Move, Yugi! You’re too slow!».  
Sliding smoothly down the uncrowded trail, Seto turned and overtook Yugi, leaning forward to keep forward momentum and gain speed.   
Yugi’s curse against him was lost in the loud noise made by the wind in his ears, urged by the CEO’s speed, and once he reached the bottom Seto turned around and met an annoyed expression of the King of Games’ face, barely discernible behind his goggles.   
«What happened to the lesson you wanted to teach me?», he grinned. «You sounded so convinced».

 

 

 

«Shut up», Yugi retorted, passing him.   
He still couldn’t walk properly, at times looking like a bird helplessly flailing its wings in the snow, but the man wasn’t going to sit back and listen to his mocking triumph.   
All he wanted to do was stop Seto’s bragging about being better than him.  
«One more time. I’ll obliterate you», he exclaimed, sitting on the chairlift as it passed.

 

 

 

«I would believe that a little bit more, but this is already the fifth time!», Seto countered, hurrying to sit on the following chair.

 

 

 

After the tenth attempt, a more than pissed off Yugi made a decision. He was going to reach the end before Seto, the CEO wanted to lose or not.   
In all previous attempts he had carefully observed and studies Seto’s movements, posture and speed, and had every intention of imitating him as best as he could.  
And he succeeded.  
Yelling in triumph, Yugi surpassed Seto on the steepest part of the slope and leaned forward, crouching to get smaller and offer less wind resistance.  
His success, however, didn’t last long.  
At the end of the trail, instead of slowing down in time, Yugi lost his balance and plummeted to the ground, sliding on the ground until he reached the safety fence, his skis lost in the fall and sore all over the body.

 

 

 

«Yugi!».  
Concerned and alarmed by his sudden fall, something much more risky than it seemed, Seto cursed Yugi for his stubbornness and stopped a step away from him, raising a wave of snow as his skis cut into it.   
«Yugi, are you okay?!».

 

 

 

In response, Yugi gave him a thumbs up and laughed, shaking off the snow from his clothes as he sat up: «I won! I told you I’d give you a lesson!», he exulted, pleased by the result.

 

 

 

«You f… you had me worried!», Seto admitted, pulling a smiling and victorious Yugi to his feet, his own skis ditched. «Don’t you dare do something like that again, you could have injured yourself», he scolded him, though he was really impressed.   
His persistence earned him a victory, after all. Truly fitting, for the King of Games.   
«We’re going back to the hotel, now. I don’t want to take you home with a broken bone».

 

 

 

Yugi smiled, snorting a laugh: «Fine, I took my victory. I’m happy I’ve spent these holidays with you, Seto. And I’m even more happy, when I think my life is going to be even more full of you».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SORRY, I had to.  
> And to make this even more painful, my plan was to actually write a brave Yugi, not a slightly drunk one.   
> Also, yeah, he doesn't tolerate alcohol very well. He's a mess. I' torturing this poor cinnamon roll, I apologize for that.
> 
> Oh, and in case you were wondering, the hieroglyphic Yugi was "drawing" on Seto's hand, mrj, is the depiction of a crouching man with a hand to his face. It actually represents ethereal feelings, and love is one of the interpretations. I hope I got that right, I looked very hard into that.  
> And to recall, imi-ib means "my love", literally, "heart's desire".
> 
>  
> 
> Well, I'm out of here.   
> Unfortunately, I have to tell you a bad news. I don't know if the next chapter will actually be out on the day I want it to come out, so to speak 27/01/2019.  
> I have a huge amount of shit to study for three exams I have at the beginning of February. So the next chapter could be uploaded in between that date, 27/01/2019, and the first week of February, depending on how I do on my exams.   
> This fanfiction is part of my free time, but I don't have a lot of it in this period, so I'm sorry it the next chapter comes out later than I promised. 
> 
>  
> 
> Please, leave kudos if you're liking the story! And if you want, why don't review it?   
> See you next time, bye!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> «Domino Acquarium?».  
> Yugi replied with a shrug: «It’s a nice place. Quiet and relaxing, and you need a little bit of relax in your life».  
> The smile that vibrant marine life had put on Yugi’s face made one appear on Seto’s lips, who couldn’t help but look at his partner, falling deeper and deeper in love with him.   
> Sighing, Seto’s shining blue eyes focused on him, Yugi widened his smile: «People like to think you’re a heartless person. But I know the Seto Kaiba that lives in the shadow. I know a Seto Kaiba whose heart beats the same way as any human being. That’s not hard to believe. Not anymore».  
> And then he heard it.   
> Blood splattered on his face, Yugi turned his head and saw Seto collapsed on the ground, pale and gasping for the pain ,  
> Pure terror made his way inside him, shaking his body to the core, while helpless and anguished tears ran down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally here, updating again! Sorry, sorry and sorry again for the long wait. I apologize with all my heart for this delay, a delay I didn't foresaw in any way. Unfortunately, university exams got in the way, and a pretty bad fail at one of them left me feeling so bad I couldn't sit down and write, not even a few lines.   
> Now I'm definitely better, and I finally managed to complete this chapter. This has been sitting in my documents half done for the whole time I refused to re-open it, so if something seems off it's because I did the majority of my researches before putting this thing on a brief (forced) hiatus. I promise I'm going to check the whole thing looking for errors and whatnot, but right now I don't have a beta, so it's going to take some time.  
> Sorry again for the wait, I hope you enjoy.

«Are you nervous, Yug?».

 

 

Yugi smiled at Joey, who was looking at him over the cards in his hands, and lightly shook his head: «Not really. By now I’ve quite accustomed to crowds of people eagerly waiting for me to say something», he replied. «I set a card face-down and end my turn», he then said, placing one of his cards from his hand on the playmat.   
Joey had invited him to his house, wanting to finally spend a Saturday together, and since Seto was busy getting dragged away from his brother, Yugi has willingly accepted.   
At the moment they were sitting at the kitchen table, engaged in an obviously traditional Duel, and Joey had successful summoned his Red Eyes Black Dragon during his fourth turn.  
Yugi, on his side of the field, only had three face-down cards.

 

 

Joey drew a card and thought about his next move, weighing his options.  
Finally, he set a card face-down and attacked Yugi’ face-down monster with his dragon, cursing out loud when his friend flipped up Marshmallon: «Oh, come on Yug! I can’t believe you’re still using _that_!», he complained, his Life Points going down by 1000 due to the monster’s effect.  
At that point, with Marshmallon unable to be destroyed by battle, Yugi had a free monster to offer as a Tribute.   
Mumbling to himself, Joey took another look at the cards he was holding, not finding anything useful.   
«Fine, I’ll end my turn», he said, moments after. «Are you really not bothered? I mean, it’s a big deal, the presentation of your game».

 

 

«I don’t know how to define it», Yugi replied, drawing from his Deck. Sage’s Stone, perfect.  
«I mean, it’s not the first time, I’ve introduced other games to the gaming community. What I know for sure, I might be a bit overwhelmed by how great this project has turned out. Seto and I kept working on it day and night even after finishing it, as to offer the public a stable build and fluid graphics. We even added tons of new details and stuff to it, but in the end it’s the public that matters. And, for as stunning our game is, there’s always the possibility the public won’t be satisfied by it. With something this big, I’m kinda scared of the disappointment bad reviews could bring up».  
Grinning, Yugi Tributed Marshmallon to Summon his Dark Magician Girl, then showed Joey the Spell Card he had just drawn: «I activate Sage’s Stone. If I have a Dark Magician Girl face-up on the field, this allows me to Special Summon my Dark Magician directly from the Deck. This is not going well for you, Joey», he chuckled, placing his spellcaster on the field before shuffling the Deck and putting it back in place.   
Now Yugi’ field could count on two powerful monsters, while Joey only had his Red Eyes Black Dragon.   
Weighing the risk brought in by his face-down cards, Yugi flipped up a Trap Card: «I activate Eternal Soul. This card makes my Dark Magician unaffected by your cards’ effects, and allows me to add Thousand Knives from my Deck to my hand».

 

 

«Are you fucking kidding me? Since when do you have that card?!».

 

 

Yugi laughed at Joey’s outraged expression: «I have to update my Deck, somehow. Oh well, I activate Thousand Knives. And guess what?».

 

 

«Yeah, yeah. No need to tell me», Joey pouted, removing Red Eyes Black Dragon from the field to place it in the Graveyard.   
His traps were useless against that move, but if everything went the right way he could till save himself for another turn.   
He still had his trusted Skull Dice on the field, as to lower Yugi’s Dark Magician Girl’s ATK, and Call of the Haunted would surely bring Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field to limit the damage.   
«I’m not giving you a victory that easily, don’t hope for it».

 

 

«Mh, are you sure about that?».  
With a critical eye, Yugi scrutinized Joey’s field and pondered whether or not to activate Dark Magic Attack from his hand.   
Joey’s face-down cards could easily uproot an attack from Dark Magician Girl, not protected by Eternal Soul’s effect. After some thinking, Yugi decided to end that Duel in that turn.   
«I activate Dark Magic Attack», he declared, showing the card to Joey. «By doing this, I destroy all your Spells and Traps».

 

 

«You did what?!».

 

 

Yugi let out another laugh at Joey’s dramatic expression: «You know, I’d say I’m sorry for doing that, but I’m not. Not even a small bit», he said.   
«Ouch, that hurt», he hissed through his teeth, upon seeing what Traps Joey had been forced to send to the Graveyard.

 

 

«Ah! As if you didn’t understand what I was planning to do. Otherwise you would have waited», Joey said, quickly replacing his bitter tone with a disbelieving one.   
There was no point in feeling smashed because of that defeat. Apart from knowing him all too well to gloos over his strategies, Yugi was a brilliant minded Duelist.   
So, when his Life Points hit zero following the 4500 damage inflicted to them by Yugi’s spellcaters, the only thing the blond did was shuffle his Deck in place and fold the playmat: «I can’t believe this shit. Ten years and I still can’t wipe that smug smile off your face».

 

 

«Get in line», Yugi snorted. «Seto’s been trying even more than you».

 

 

 

 

Crashed on the living room couch, popcorn at hand and a TV series on the screen, Joey resumed the conversation they had interrupted during their Duel, curious to learn more about the upcoming presentation of the new KaibaCorp VR game: «So… how’s this presentation going to be? From what I’ve seen from released previews, that game is spectacular».

 

 

Yugi shrugged, taking a handful of popcorn from the precariously balanced bowl on the couch: «We’ve prepared some nice trailers, first of all. We have to get the public’s attention, so we’ll show them before talking about the videogame itself», he explained. «The will be Seto’s turn. He’s going to be the one showing the gameplay, and I’m having no complaints about it. and from there… well, all will be left to the public’s reaction. We can embellish it as much as we want, but it’s the first impression that counts, in things like these. And if that doesn’t work, the presentation will be a failure».  
Distracted by the dramatically exaggerated chasing scene on TV, Yugi feel silent for  a bit before talking again: «If the public likes the gameplay, well, we’ll explain some themes and anticipate the plot, as to attract more people. That’s my part, actually, because I’ve worked a whole lot on the game’s storyline. The rest is to listen to people’s comments and answer any question that pops up».

 

 

«Sounds stressful».

 

 

«It sure is».  
With a sigh, Yugi sank into the cushions and showed popcorns in his mouth: «Seto had thought about skipping the presentation entirely and directly launch the videogame, to avoid all this shit, but it’s not a good idea. The Legendary Dragon is a title too big, and miss the opportunity to show it to the public at KaibaCorp. Expo is just dumb.   
But I have to say, having to prepare everything, be ready to face any form of criticisms and any kinds of questions… it’s definitely not the most relaxing thing in the world.   
I’m almost grateful Seto decided not to do all this at E3. We saved ourselves a huge load of work this way, and KaibaCorp.’s security is ten times better».  
He had not forgotten the hacker who, at the E3 in which Yugi had actively participated as a developer, had almost destroyed months of work.   
And Yugi didn’t even work with Seto, at that time. It was the beginning of his career, and someone already wanted to put the King of Games in a bad place.

 

 

Joey focused for a while on the TV show, complaining about how unrealistic the setting was for the story they were aiming for, then frowned: «How many more games are going to be presented at Kaiba’s Expo?».

 

 

«Only five. Big titles, but Seto prefers to give a spot only to projects worthy of being noticed. And that doesn’t surprise me. All in all, that’s not a large Expo, but it tends to attract more people than it should. It’s also a matter of security».

 

 

«Nobody misses an event organized by Seto Kaiba, uh?».  
Joey shook his head, placing the now empty bowl of popcorn on the coffee table: «Half of the participants are journalists, I bet».

 

 

Yugi laughed, expecting that reaction from Joey: «Don’t say that. That event also attracts many Duelists, you know? Although the videogames presented by creators and developers are mostly generic, KaibaCorp. also uses that Expo to launch new Duel Monsters related products.   
As much as he overdoes anything, Seto would have never opened such an exposition just to publicize the company’s new videogames. That’s absolutely ridiculous, business-wise», he replied. «And don’t forget the KaibaCorp. Expo was has been opened just before I started working with Seto. It’s still a new thing for a lot of people».

 

With that they closed the discussion, and continued watching the TV show on screen until 5 pm., when Mai’s arrival interrupted their commentary.  
«Hi, Mai!».  
Smiling, Yugi got up from the couch and hugged the woman: «It’s been a long time».

 

 

She did the same, and winked: «I’m happy to know someone has finally managed to detach Joey from his damned books», she said, glancing at the blond after returning Yugi’s greetings. «Why are you her? I thought you worked on Saturdays».

 

 

Yugi shrugged: «I was tired of being in my office. Worse if it’s my home office. I had to do something relaxing to ease the tension, and Joey luckily invited me. I was as surprised as you are now».

 

 

«You know I’m still here, right?».

 

 

Mai pretended to ignore his whining: «Oh, that’s right! The videogame you and Seto have been working on. I forgot about it, you never brought it up anymore».

 

 

«Eh, there wasn’t much to talk about», Yugi replied, waving his hand. «The game’s been finished for a long time, and the team did most of the additional work. I only took it back in my hands for finishing touches and whatnot».

 

 

«It will be a success, I’m sure», Mai told him with a huge, convincing smile on her face.   
The she turned to look at Joey: «Do me a favor and take care of the groceries. I have a meeting with my manager, and I’m already late».

 

 

«Manager? Have you decided to start Dueling again as a professional?».

 

 

Mai nodded at Yugi’s question: «Why not? I was waiting for Joey to finish his studies, in order to participate to some tournaments together, but I got tired. I prefer a more lively life, even if I’m more than happy with Joey. And Dueling is something I was looking forward to go back to».

 

 

«No doubts about it».  
Glancing at the clock on his phone lockscreen, Yugi sighed: «All right, it’s time for me to go home. It was nice to see you, Mai. Maybe we’ll meet in a tournament».

 

 

«Geez, maybe not!», Mai exclaimed with a laugh. «Not now that I’ve started winning again».

 

 

Yugi didn’t hold back a laugh and let her free to go upstairs and change, joining Joey in the kitchen.  
His friend was busy putting away groceries, so he cleared his throat  to get the blond’s attention: «I have to go. Seto’s surely back home, and I don’t want to find myself on an icy road. Especially on a bide. This was a great day, thank you for inviting me over».

 

 

«Oh damn, I was hoping you would stay for dinner. Ah, well – Joey shrugged, closing the fridge after putting vegetables in it – we should hang out more often. Maybe we could organize something after my exams, I don’t know. You’re always so busy with work, and I’m sure the weekend is the only free day for your sunshine of a boyfriend, too».

 

 

«Oh, come on, he’s not that bad», Yugi told him for the thousandth time. «Nonetheless, I would really like to hang out more often».  
Accompanied by Joey at the door, Yugi put on his fluffy coat and gloves and left the cozy house, stepping out in Domino’s icy air as daylight was beginning to fade: «See you, Joey!».  
A final goodbye, and Yugi climbed on his Harley, forcing his crazy hair into the helmet before taking off.

 

 

 

 

Kaiba’s mansion was quiet as Yugi opened the front door, and all the lights were out.   
The only exception, Seto and Mokuba’s voices coming from upstairs, busy cursing themselves and spitting sarcastic and snarky comments at each other. And obviously, the light from the room they were in.   
Smiling at that weirdly familiar and almost absurd scene, given the house he was in, Yugi hung his coat on the coat rack near the door and climbed the stairs, headed to the living room the Kaiba brothers had redesigned as a game room.   
Seto and Mokuba, sprawled on the couch with two controllers in hand, kept elbowing and yeling at each other, in an attempt to cause a distraction or an opportunity to the other lose sight and control of his character on the screen.   
They were so immersed in their videogame they didn’t even notice Yugi, at least until he collapsed on the couch between them, blocking yet another distracting attack on Seto by his little brother.   
«Damn, Mokuba is wrecking you», he commented, looking at the statistics on the screen.   
Mokuba’s character, currently involved in a striking killcam, had a score so high Seto’s paled in comparison.

 

 

In response, Seto elbowed him and swore under his breath when the distraction cost him yet another defeat.   
«All right, why don’t _you_ try it, then? It’s a videogame you developed, so it should be fairly easy to win against him», he said, placing the controller in Yugi’s hands.   
As much as he was absolutely proud of his brother, it was also absolutely frustrated by not being able to win against him.

 

 

Yugi grabbed the controller and grinned, sitting more comfortably in the tight space between the two brothers. Mokuba had definitely grown too much.   
«Fine, but if  win… tomorrow you’ll get another day off».

 

 

«What? You can’t do that, I’m not even playing», Seto objected.

 

 

«Oh, I perfectly agree with that», Mokuba interjected. «Because of your damn videogame you’ve been working even harder than usual. And you always overwork yourself».

 

 

Yugi’s eyes lit up in a smug expression, and he laughed at the annoyed snort that came to his ears: «There’s not much you can do about it. If I win, tomorrow you’ll stay at home and _won’t_ work».

 

 

«And if _I_ win – Mokuba said – you’ll go on a date for the entire day».

 

 

«The hell, Mokuba?!».

 

 

«You heard your brother. Now move aside, your day off is at stake».

 

 

 

 

Softly stroking Yugi’s hair, tucked in warm and fluffy sheets, Seto intently watched his partner flick through the pages of a book, waiting patiently for him to finish before starting a conversation.  
Since they moved in together, at the beginning of the month, it was a habit he had slowly taken.   
Yugi distracted himself from the technology governing Seto’s life, and Seto quietly held the smaller man in his arms, observing in silence to respect a kind serenity he almost never granted himself in his existence.   
Yugi didn’t read every evening, alternating his books with long talks with Seto or a movie seen on a computer screen, but he always tried to push the CEO away from his worries.   
He always found a way to distract him from unpleasant and recurring thoughts.   
Often, he would succeed. Often, he could not.  
Sometimes the whirlwind in Seto’s mind was so intense it didn’t offer even the slightest breach, especially when his doubts enveloped the unsolved question surrounding the Millennium Rod.   
Weeks later he was still fearing the unbounded power of the Item, and the thought of failing, giving in to an always lurking madness never stopped tormenting him.

 

 

Closed the book, Yugi turned off the lamp on the bedside table and shifted in Seto’s embrace, burying his face in the crook of his neck: «So? You’ve not commented even once on my defeat. I’m starting to worry», he whispered, inhaling the absurdly infatuating smell of the CEO.   
It was weird, a bizarre combination of metallic-ish reminiscent mixed with ancient memories. Yugi loved it.

 

 

Seto snorted a half-laugh, his gaze fixed on the ceiling barely lit by faint moonlight. He left a light kiss on Yugi’s head, scrunching his nose when the rebellious tri-colored hair tickled it: «I hope that wasn’t a deal you and Mokuba made behind my back».

 

 

«No way. This should make you understand you really overwork yourself. Well, more than usual, at least», Yugi retorted, raising his head to leave a delicate kiss on Seto’s lips.   
Then he frowned: «Is something wrong? You seem tense».

 

 

He sighed, stroking Yugi’s back, the soft fabric of his warm pajamas under long fingers: «Recurring thoughts, as always. Don’t worry about it», he replied, trying to conceal his disquiet.  
With poor success.

 

 

Unconvinced, Yugi slipped out of Seto’s hug and turned on his side, propping himself up: «You’re not thinking about the Millennium Rod again, are you?».  
Seto’s expression, for a moment flickering with guilt, made the man shake his head: «I’ve already told you, you don’t need to be apprehensive about it. There’s no risks».  
Seto could be totally, utterly terrifying, soaked and overflowing with power while holding his Millennium Item, a manifestation of an angered god walking on earth. But it wasn’t a power corrupted by darkness.   
Not anymore, since Marik had completely banished his dark side before giving up the Rod.

 

 

«It’s just… I don’t know. What if you’re mistaken? These things were forged in blood, no one can tell what’s left behind. I… I’m afraid I’ll fall under its control. I’ve had enough of seeing me being dominated by outside forces», he finally admitted, after a long pause.   
He should have also told him the reason why that dark calling seemed louder and louder, but putting another death on Yugi’s already crippled shoulder (because death was for his rapist) was clearly not among the CEO’s priorities.   
Seto was fumbling around in the dark, but Yugi was already there, his hand stretched and ready to get him out of it. He just had to understand when and how to grab it. There has been enough sorrow for both of them to make a mistake.  
«If I have to be honest, the memory of what happened with the Millennium Ring and Diva just adds to the problem, but you really don’t need to worry. I’m not obsessed, it’s only a recurring thought I still can’t seem to get rid of».

 

 

Yugi would have wanted to tell him again the incident had been caused more by Diva’s influence on the Ring than by the Ring itself, even though the Item was still imbued with Zorc’s soul.   
Or to reassure him, tell him the restless and vindictive souls of Kul Elna’s inhabitants no longer tormented the very existence of the Items.   
But he didn’t.   
Seto didn’t need ephemeral reassurance, only someone close to him, someone who wasn’t going to try and force him to accept this or that fact.   
«Are you sure?», he therefore asked as he stretched out a hand, sweetly caressing his face barely visible in the soft darkness enveloping the room.

 

 

Seto nodded: «More sure than I recently was», he replied, smiling slightly.   
Although the terror of accidentally hurt Yugi kept on biting and clawing at his mind, never letting him go.  
«Sleep. You might have played me for tomorrow, but this week’s going to be worse than hell. For both of us».

 

 

 

 

«At this rate the company that produces your eyeliner will go bankrupt. Cause: inability to meet the demands of his one customer».  
Smoothing the collar of his deep blue shirt, Seto smiled at Yugi’s annoyed expression reflected in the mirror, accentuated even more by perfect black lines of eyeliner drawn around the sparkling jewels that were his eyes.   
He took the make-up pen from his hand an grinned: «Not that I’m complain, that’s obvious».

 

 

Yugi shook his head, looking satisfied at the result of a fifteen minutes eye make-up session: «You know, I bet Seth would be more than happy to see _you_ put on some eyeliner. Or kohl. Whatever».  
Not having spotted imperfections, Yugi took his eyeliner from Seto’s hands and placed it in his drawer, next to the extensive collection of black make-up he loved to show off in public.   
Not that he wore that much make-up, but Yugi rarely appeared in any shot (paparazzi or not) with eyes not lined by eyeliner or kohl, or even some black eyeshadow.   
Habits die hard, as they say.   
«I don’t even want to imagine media’s reaction to that. “The great Seto Kaiba succumbed to the temptation of make-up. Is the CEO finally aging? Insights on page 6”. Oh, I would read the hell out of that».

 

 

After a last glance in the mirror, under ad intense white light, Seto left the bathroom with a snort and retrieved his cell phone, still in charge on the bedside table: «Glad to see you’ve found almost all your sense of humor», he said, scrolling through apps.   
E-mails were already stacking up in his inbox, but upon hearing Yugi’s footsteps approaching Seto closed the app and hid the phone in his pocket.   
He had agreed to Yugi and Mokuba’s terms, willingly or not, and being caught working was as bad as backing off.   
Plus, Yugi would throw his cell phone into the trash. Again.

 

 

«Almost?».  
Yugi raised an eyebrow, sliding the Millenium Puzzle’s chain around his neck: What do you mean “almost”?».

 

 

Seto grinned: «Oh, you know. “The worldwide known, the phenomenal Seto Kaiba, at the young age of twenty-five, gives in to the temptation of second-rate make-up. Could be the CEO and marketing genius is finally getting old? Insights on page 6 and 8”. And be honest, I’d get the cover».

 

 

«I’m not going to celebrate your ego more than you already do».  
Despite he was smiling.   
Yugi slipped his phone into his pocket, a rather complicated task since he had to choose those uncomfortable and tight leather pants, and approached the CEO to leave a kiss on his cheek, standing on his tip-toes to reach him: «Let’s go. I have in mind a nice place to take you».

 

 

 

 

«Domino Acquarium?».  
Puzzled, Seto looked around, scanning the crowd lingering in the place to buy entry tickets.   
Families accompanied by children and teens who were waiting for anything else than to enter the huge structure, to look wide-eyed at huge tanks of water inhabited by fish of all types, sizes and colors.   
And also couples waiting in line holding hands, exchanging smiles and effusions, and small kisses.   
Someone had even brought happy looking dogs, fierce ones and smaller ones dressed in tiny onesies.   
Seto was really confused.

 

 

Yugi replied with a shrug: «It’s a nice place. Quiet and relaxing, and you need a little bit of relax in your life. And anyways, it’s been a long time since the last time I came here. The last time, most part of it was still under construction and renovation».  
Turning his head around, Yugi sighed exasperated at the glimpse of what could only have been a hidden camera, and got in line while motioning for Seto to stay by his side: «Don’t draw attention on us by using your name to avoid the line», he said. «That dude searching for a nice excuse to put me and you on a first page is enough».   
The risk of being labeled as a couple wasn’t there, but is was better to keep a low profile. Lower than usual, at least. Especially in one of the only public places in Domino not owned by Seto.   
With a sigh, Yugi thought about how good it would be to go on a date without worrying about “incriminating” mistakes, like accidentally holding hands out of habit.  
And although Yugi wanted to wait as much as Seto, he enviously eyed the other couples in line.

 

 

«Are you all right, Yugi?».  
Noticing his suddenly gloomy expression, Seto frowned: «Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. We still have time to get away and look for a less crowded place».  
He didn’t know what was going on in Yugi’s head, but he had the strong impression it was his own dilemma.   
Just thinking how good it would be, after all, to be able to ignore the constant pressure of media and society on his shoulder to hug him in public, or just show affection in general.   
He was near him, but never felt so far away.   
Small things like putting an arm around his shoulders, lightly kissing his cheeks… Seto cursed himself for being so stubborn and scared.   
If he wasn’t worried about his dangerous position in the world, praised by many but harshly criticized by others, he would have already gathered strength and courage to make a step further.   
Instead, awed by his own feelings and struck by the anguish following the aggression against Yugi, he took a step back.   
«Maybe we shouldn’t be here. I don’t want to raise inappropriate questions», he added, shaking his head.   
For all that mattered, he didn’t want Yugi to fall in an uncomfortable position, not after all his efforts to move on.

 

 

Yugi smiled, crossing his arms to fight the impulse to grab Seto’s hand and hold it in his: «If questions come, I’ll deal with them. I’m not going to give up this day, and you shouldn’t either».  
After gaining the opportunity to choose a place for their date, ironically thanks to a defeat in his own game, Yugi had taken a long time to think about what to do and where to go.   
The first thought, as always, was to avoid attracting any attention, go to some uncrowded place or to Kaibaland, definitely a less unknown and protected environment.   
But after a while he had discarded all those options one by one, tired of being afraid of the world.   
After making huge and important steps forward, thanks to his friends and grandpa’s support, id didn’t seem right to stay motionless in one spot, stuck between the agony of looking back and the fear of looking ahead.   
In the last week Seto had finally managed to repress every single rumor about the aggression, the weaker ones still circulating away from big media companies, so Yugi had one less thing to worry about the past.   
There was no point in making that past come back and gnaw at his brain, preventing him from living his life with that slowly recovered happiness and security.   
He had opened the cage.  
Now it was time to step out of it, no matter how slow the progress seemed to be.   
Yugi was tired of being surrounded by bars and chains suppressing his own mind.   
«We’re here to have fun», he said, reinforcing his opinion. «If someone wants to ruin our day, they’ll have to fight for it».

 

 

 

Gods, how he’d wanted to bend down, take Yugi’s face in his hand and kiss him, fiercely, until they’d both be left with no air in their lungs, flushed cheeks and swollen lips.   
His instincts were screaming at him, trying to stop his worries.   
But as the line advanced and their tickets had finally become a tangible reality after buying them, Seto continued to feel anxiety poking him, surrounded by looks and whispers, people wondering if they really were looking at the King of Games and the CEO of KaibaCorp.   
How long before making a misstep and let the media’s attention on them?  
Someone would soon start whispering about how bizarre was to see the two rivals, always so aggressive and fierce in battle, hanging out in Domino Aquarium.   
So close to each other their hands constantly brushed, sending Seto’s heartbeat right amongst the stars.   
What if that would actually happen?  
Seto wasn’t ready to be under the spotlight.   
Ironic, said by someone who was constantly chasing it.

 

 

«Seto, stop worrying. I can literally _hear_ your brain, and that’s not good».   
Tired of having un unresponsive CEO by his side, Yugi stopped in the middle of the corridor they were walking in and stood before him, arms crossed: «Nobody is saying anything. As far as people know, I dragged you here to hang out as friends. It’s not the first time some article rattle on about me because I go out with my friends. You won’t be an exception, there’s literally nothing out here that could prove we are dating.   
Enjoy the day, for Osiris’ sake. If you don’t, I’ll think about ditching you and go find someone less grumpy.   
We are in a beautiful aquarium, surrounded by dozens of different colors and life forms, and you are brooding over baseless worries», he scolded him, sulky.   
All around them, in the arched tank in place of walls and ceiling, swam several fish of various species, painted in bright colors or noteworthy for their bizarre and crazy appearance.  
The entire blue-ish corridor was covered by that expanse of water inhabited by tropical fish, decorated with marine vegetation, sand and rocks, even some fake corals, arranged to recreate a natural but fascinating habitat.   
A wonderful, cheering sight for the observer.   
Yugi approached the glass surface to stare at the corydoras, small fish scampering at the bottom, dragging their small whiskers in sand and pebbles. He smiled when they beat a retreat, swimming away to avoid a swarm of colorful guppies.   
Blue, orange, red and yellow coloration pre-empted the wonderful tails of those specimens, which Yugi had often seen in aquariums of many hotels and restaurants during his travels.   
The man stayed in place, enchanted by that show, for a long time.

 

 

The smile that vibrant marine life had put on Yugi’s face made one appear on Seto’s lips, who far from feeling offended by the way Yugi had dumped him couldn’t help but look at his partner enjoying himself, having fun like nothing ever happened to him.   
All the while, falling deeper and deeper in love with him.   
Unable to avert his gaze from the joy radiated by Yugi, the CEO followed him down the corridor and into one of the many deserted rooms opened on the sides, a dim place only lit by delicate lights coming from the huge tank dominating the scene.   
And in the tank, placidly swimming, wonderful koi fish, those ornamental carps Seto remembered having seen even in the tiny but well-kept aquarium back at the orphanage, the only spot of color in the grayness of those years.  
Good omens, as he heard.   
Softly lit by white LEDs, the white and orangey-red coloration of those koi almost shined, sparkling as if in seeking attention from those who were curious enough to observe and admire them.  
Dazzling like Yugi’s smile, which Seto still hadn’t stopped staring at, sitting on the bench between the entrance and the glistening tank.

 

 

«They’re beautiful, aren’t they?».

 

 

Seto nodded, barely listening to the sentence, his eyes still fixed on Yugi’s slender figure: «Beautiful. More than anything else», he replied.   
Realizing only then how sugary and sweet his tone was. Dreamy, almost.  
Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and looked away, his cheeks burning as Yugi sat down at his side with a gentle laugh.   
Why those things always had to end up like that?

 

 

Taking advantage of their privacy, Yugi stretched out his hand to grab Seto’s and tilted his head to the side, until he was nuzzling him: «I love you. More than anything else», he whispered, smiling as the CEO’s hand grasped is own back.   
Murmurs lost in the quiet room.

 

 

 

 

«Is that a shark?!».  
Dashing towards the huge tank that take all the space in the last room of Domino Aquarium, a tall and massive cylinder inhabited by marine vegetation and life, Yugi zigzagged through those few families still around and approached the glass.   
As much as he could without touching it.   
Beyond the thick glass, threatening only because of long told stories about it, a sleek shark was swimming in circles. A few other fish for company.   
It looked incredibly calm and peaceful, despite the pairs of eyes it had aimed on. As wide as platters, especially for the kids.   
Some child even started hitting on the glass to catch the shark’s attention, before being scolded by his parents, but the creature in the tank didn’t mind at all.   
After all, what problem could a child be, for one of the most feared life form of the ocean?

 

 

Ditched for the second time, Seto sighed resignedly and suppressed a smile, feeling more eyes focused on him than on the shark.   
Typical of Yugi.   
«And you said to avoid drawing attention to us», he commented in a soft voice, after reaching his side.   
The shark, because Yugi had seen right, wasn’t offering an interesting show. If the CEO really had to admit, watching swarms of colorful and bright fish darting underwater was far more interesting.   
However, Yugi seemed so charmed he didn’t even listen to him.   
Rolling his eyes, Seto examined the tank and finally found something to do, a sign on which he could read some information about the shark. Long lines written in Japanese and English. Tourism, no surprise.   
«It’s a leopard shark».

 

 

«What?».

 

 

Seto nodded towards the animal: «That shark. It’s a leopard shark. It’s quite beautiful», he repeated. «It’s written there», he then said, in response to Yugi’s questioning look.

 

 

«Does it say anything else?».  
Interested, Yugi moved to make room for a kid and glanced at the sign Seto was showing him: «It’s an endangered species? That’s not nice to know», was the sulky comment. «Of course we have no respect for animals».

 

 

«We never had, sadly», Seto nodded. «But it also said the population is increasing again. I suppose there’s a chance for everyone to get back on their feet, with the right help».

 

 

Yugi smiled at the not-so-hidden implication behind those words: «Right… hey, do you want to eat something? I’m starving».

 

 

 

 

After a relatively short time of strolling around in Domino, the two came to a halt and Seto looked up at the restaurant sign where Yugi had brought him: «What? A steakhouse?».

 

 

Yugi glanced at him: «It’s not your common steakhouse. I wanted to make you fully enjoy this day. I know the aquarium is not one of your favorite places to be, even if you like it», he replied, with a soft smile. «It’s not a date if we only do what I like».   
Inside, the place itself was of modest size and not very crowded. In the beautifully furnished room hovered a wonderful tranquility, accompanied by the delicious smell of grilled meat and tainted only by the light chattering of other patrons.   
Yugi had done his fair share of research before falling asleep, and eventually managed to find a suitable place for Seto.   
Secluded, not noisy and serving quality food.   
«I called this morning to book a table for us», he answered Seto’s questioning look. «My name could be quite useful, when you look for a place to eat last minute».  
Not that having an almost favored treatment pleased him. Rather, Yugi often avoided to take advantage of his fame to get something difficult or impossible, being it an object, a place in some expensive restaurant or hotel, or things like that.   
Being the King of Games had started to annoy Yugi in the long run, because someone was always ready to kneel and worship his name (Atem jokingly associated that to his old days as a Pharaoh). But that day had been the exception.

 

For a long time, even before they started dating, Seto had satisfied Yugi’s great passions and likings without complaining (too much), often even taking advantage of his reputation and finances to make everything possible.   
To be trivial, just like the time when, as Yugi shouted threats in his face about wanting to Duel Diva himself, Seto had not only satisfied his requests without batting an eyelid; he also straight up gifted him his newest Duel Disk prototype. After that godforsaken Duel, Yugi was still having nightmares about an horrifyingly mutated Diva, the man tried to give Seto the Duel Disk back, but he refused and let him keep it.   
And that was only a tiny drop in the huge lake Seto filled with his (mostly hidden) kindness.   
Now it was Yugi’s turn to return the favor, no matter how small his gestures might seem to be compared to the CEO’s overly dramatic ones.

 

 

After a quick exchange of words with a waiter, Yugi and Seto were kindly directed to their table and the latter immediately seized the menu to scrutinize it.   
He had not expected such a thing from Yugi.   
Although modest, his course of actions had immensely surprised the CEO. That small but thoughtful gesture squeezed his heart in a grip not made of sadness, but of a kind of joy he rarely had the luxury to afford.   
The young man was so kind and gentle Seto would have never imagined seeing him use his fame just to please his likings.   
In spite of himself, Seto thought he should really stop underestimating him.   
Just like the time, months before, he threw hints of BDSM in one of their casual conversation after sex as a joke, and Yugi replied in an extremely serious tone, making the CEO’s cheeks show a completely unwilling but fiery blush.   
That man could be little and appear shy, but he was hiding a lot more layers just waiting to be discovered.

 

_“Oh, look at you. Are you becoming sentimental?”._

 

Seto scrunched up his nose, annoyed: “Shut up, Seth”.  
Seth snorted, a surprisingly clear sound for a spirit trapped in a gold magic trinket, but went back in the Millennium Rod and made no further comments.   
At times, the CEO could absolutely not stand the shitty behavior of that priest. He had the annoying habit of laughing at him for those thoughts, as if Seth himself had never done anything romantic or kind for Atem.  
Seto knew better.  
He peeked into his memory, when the priest’s attention was elsewhere. He saw long nights of love, kind and shining love, made of tender kisses and warm hugs. He saw small hints of affection here and there, when no one was looking. Hands brushing in premeditated accidents, lips curved in an understanding and sweet smile.   
He saw his determination to save the Pharaoh when the King of Thieves, the real one not the Memory World distorted figure, barged into the throne room with Aknamkhanon’s body.   
Why was he feeling the urgent need of being a fucking asshole?

Trying not to get angry, Seto focused his attention on short lines of text written on the eye-catching menu he had in his hands: the choice seemed very limited, but Yugi had opted for that place because the food was good and healthy (at least, for being the kind of food it was), not that shit full of additives and preservatives the CEO couldn’t stand.   
«Can I ask you how did you find this place, or you’re going to keep it a secret?», he asked, trying to fill the silence between them as he considered his options.

 

 

Yugi smiled, placing the menu on the table after picking his choices: «You can ask, absolutely. To be honest, I found it almost by chance. I didn’t even thing about this in the first place, I’m not good with this stuff».  
He was spectacularly skilled in choosing the right gift for the right occasion, being it something material or a meaningful present, but dates… Yugi was a complete disaster.   
The skilled one for dates was Seto, who always managed to overdo everything and anything even when they ended up doing nothing but stay at home. Dueling, maybe, or playing videogame until late night.   
Even if the CEO kept finding himself in trouble upon expressing his feelings straightforwardly, he knew how to make Yugi happy. And he knew how to organize perfect dates every single time. Even if, on some occasions, they had the tendency of ruining it because of a stupid fight.   
Yugi, although he was pretty comfortable with the whole deal of cuddles and sweet nothings, in most cases didn’t even know where to start.  
That never discouraged him, though.  
«In the end, after scrolling through entire sites, I thought about what you prefer the most. and from there, I managed to discover this place. I know you dislike junk food, for as many times as you ended up dragged in this or that fast food place by me or Mokuba, and I know an uncrowded and quiet place could be much better for you than a five-starts restaurant full of people.   
I know you like this kind of places, even if you do your best to make me happy, and try to ignore your discomfort when we go to less private restaurants. So I thought “why not, he’ll enjoy it”, and here we are», he continued, lowering his voice a bit.   
As few as they were, all the people in the steakhouse surrounding them still had a couple of ears each. Quite literally.   
«Have you picked something?».

 

 

Speechless, Seto’s brain took a moment too long to register Yugi’s question, and the man nodded: «Yes. I have to admit it, this… this is a perfect choice», he managed to say, placing his folded menu on the other one.   
Than, he frowned: «Listen, Yugi… – a pause – I don’t mind taking you to places you like. I know I’m a distant person and I’m not very friendly, but…».  
With a sigh, Seto shook his head and hinted a smile: «I like to make you happy. I like to see that bright smile on your face. And if to see your smile I have to put aside my bad temper, I do it more than willingly», he added. Then he snorted a bitter laugh: «It must be hard to believe».

 

 

«Not for me».  
If Yugi could have reached out and grabbed Seto’s long fingers, fidgeting and clawing at the tablecloth with nervousness, he would.  
Unfortunately, as secluded as it was, the place they were in wasn’t going to make a similar gesture escape the attention of the other people, so he merely smiled sweetly: «I’ve learned to know you, Seto. Truth be told, you’re right. You’re not the kindest person ever, nor the most patient. You’re brilliant, but also very impulsive, and you have close to zero regard for others. You don’t care about the majority of the words flying on and behind your shoulders, and you have a pretty maddening tendency of talking without the slightest hint of care about the effect what you say could have on those who listen».  
Yugi softened his expression, intertwining his fingers in that same gesture he could always see Seto make when he was thinking about something: «But deep inside you, for the people you care about, you’re not like that. As arrogant and narcissistic as you may be, you don’t hesitate a moment to make those you love happy.   
I saw you risking your life for Mokuba more than once, and I did not forget the absolute, pure fear I saw in your eyes when Pegasus, Marik and Noah put him in danger. I was there, when you Dueled Pegasus to rescue your brother. I had to draw back and forfeit our Duel, on that occasion, because you literally threatened to kill yourself if I was to win».  
Sighing, Seto’s shining blue eyes focused on him, Yugi widened his smile: «People like to think you’re a heartless person, the young prodigy who razed the company of his father and raised another one of his own without thinking twice. But I… I know the Seto Kaiba that lives in the shadow. The one media are not allowed to know, to shine their lights on. I know a Seto Kaiba who smiles, who talks, who lives. I know a Seto Kaiba whose heart beats the same way as any human being, because that Seto _is_ a human being.   
So… no. That’s not hard to believe. Not anymore».

 

 

Not anymore.  
Seto looked down, the same smile curving his lips.   
He knew he had been a malevolent wind, a real storm in Yugi’s life, in the early days.  
Looking back, he had hurt, offended, harassed and discredited him. He had refused to accept any defeat suffered by him, not only in Duel Monsters, but also in life.   
Seto had done everything in his power to bring him down, to crush his determination, to make him eat the dust as he took a success he so much thought he deserved more than him.   
But then… something happened.   
Suddenly, Yugi was gone, taken away by the Orichalcos. And Pharaoh, the mighty ruler of upper and lower Khemet Seto wasn’t going to acknowledge, had called him.   
Eyes red and swollen with tears, knocked down by a kind of pain Seto had soon learned to know, Atem ignored all of his taunts. He had decided on his own to rely on that stubborn and overconfident rival, asking him to listen.   
And Seto… Seto decided to listen.   
And since then, something had made it way in his mind. Something that, because of Gozaburo’s abuses, Seto had been too afraid to know and explore.   
With claws of burning steel and chains made of pain, the man Seto refused to call father had stole his ability to fall in love, the courage to have gentle and nice feelings.   
But putting himself on the trail followed by that Pharaoh in search of help, Seto had broken Gozaburo’s tight chains step by step, and melted the ice spikes imprisoning his heart.   
Soon, maybe too soon, those crimson eyes, fierce and impetuous like a dragon’s roaring flames, had joined the sweetness and sympathy of violet jewels, shining gems that sparkled even in the most critical situations.   
Some time later, Seto had recognized Yugi’s skill as his own, his admiring determination. And he fell in love with him.   
Just like he had fallen for the noble and otherworldly Pharaoh of Egypt.   
«You’re right», he said, after a while. «But I never thought I’d hear that».

 

 

 

 

«So? How’d it go?».

 

 

Yugi collapsed on the couch and smiled at Mokuba, all ears even though he was busy playing a brand new videogame, eyes glued to the screen: «Better than I could hope for. I’m glad everything went well, I’m not good at organizing dates», he replied, stretching his arms over his head. «Ironically, your stubborn brother is much better than me with that».

 

 

«What am I hearing, the King of Games publicly admits his lack of skill».   
After changing in more comfortable clothes, a hoodie and sweatpants, Seto had come down in the living room just in time to hear Yugi’s last comment.   
He had to admit it, that day had been much more pleasant than he’d originally planned. Especially thinking about all the work they would have to face the next day.  
«You know, for as much as I liked your… arrangement of things, tomorrow we’ll have to work all day. Your idea took away way too many hours», he said, sitting down on the couch a short distance from Yugi.   
With a nod, he pointed out the videogame on the screen and frowned at Mokuba: «May I ask why you brought the console downstairs?».

 

 

Embarrassed, Mokuba looked away and faintly blushed, but still enough for his brother to notice: «I thought… I don’t know, I wanted to leave you come privacy», he said, barely audible.

 

 

At those words, Yugi widened his eyes and sighed, shoulders slumped down: «Mokuba…».  
He knew the younger Kaiba had no bad intentions, but the issue was still too heavy to bear for the man.   
«You’re kind, Mokuba. Really», he told him, giving Seto a somewhat reassuring look. «But… there’s no need».  
Nodding towards Seto a mute request to not follow him, Yugi rose from the couch and left the living room, headed to their bedroom upstairs.   
There, he closed the door and lay down on the soft mattress, sinking into its warm and cuddly embrace, one arm raised to shield his eyes.   
In his mind, a whirlwind of thoughts was spinning relentlessly, dragging and waving every single worry he had in a totally incoherent matter.  
Again, he felt like being alone was the best way to fight that particular problem.   
That was a trivial matter, Seto couldn’t be always there to help him with every single thing that was wrong. Even if his help was the best thing Yugi could ever hope to receive.   
Yugi had often thought, and thought again about it, he also went back to the episode that had occurred in the ski resort a short time before, but the end result was always the same.

 

  
The more he thought about it, the more his memory returned to the past, going back by days weeks, and months.   
Back until Seto’s face disappeared and in his ears echoed once again with the piercing sound of his own screams of terror and agony.   
When his mind tricked him like that, Yugi’s body trembled with fright, and the man saw no choice but curl up in a corner until he felt better, bitter and salty tears always ready to sting his eyes and fall down.   
In those moments, when he tried to imagine Seto’s firm but sweet embrace to calm down, all he could feel and see was the tearing clench of steel cables and violent hands.   
And when the first tears fell down on his cheeks, accompanied by weak and muffled sobs, Seto’s voice came distorted and twisted, like a TV channel with no signal, until it turned into the sadistic laughter of his rapists.   
«Why can’t I do it…?».  
Raising in a sitting position, Yugi grabbed his head in his hands and repressed the urge to scream his frustration, feeling a painful knot in his stomach and a dull ache in his chest.  
Why couldn’t he return to Seto’s arms, despite all the efforts he had made to forget?  
Resigned,  Yugi felt repressed tears escape his eyes, leaving wet trail on a pale complexion, and lowered his forehead until he hit his knees: «Why is that memory not going away…? _Why_?!», he silently cried, his heart hurting so much it seemed an open wound.   
He didn’t want to be heard, he didn’t want to be been in that state.   
Theirs had been a wonderful and cheerful day, why did Yugi always have to ruin everything?

 

 _“Yugi…”_.  
Concerned by the severe wave of pain that had passed through his soul, Atem materialized beside his host and looked at him, understandingly.  
Embittered, unable to comfort Yugi in any physical way, Atem knelt before him and patiently waited to see the man lift his head.  
His eyes glistened with tears, bloodshot and filled with anguish.  
_“You are scared. That is understandable. You do not have to feel guilty about it”_ , he told him, almost whispering.   
Yugi needed calm words, not striking gestures or powerful speeches.

 

“Why am I still scared, Atem? Seto would never hurt me, why do I keep thinking about…”. Another stabbing pain in his heart, as painful as a knife piercing through it, made the remaining sentence die in his throat.

 

 _“Sometimes, memories are more terrifying than the present, Yugi. You cannot you anything about it”_ , was Atem’s reply, quiet and rational. _“It is true, Seto would never hurt you… would never hurt us. You know it more than anyone else. That is why you can bring yourself to trust him, to allow him to hug you, to stay close to you. But –_ Atem paused a moment, only to float a little closed to Yugi, so that he was hovering above him – _what happened to you left an unforgettable scar. You have successfully overcome a great deal of your fears by now, and I am proud of you, partner. But… you have to stop blaming yourself if you do not feel ready. Do not beat yourself up because you feel lost and scared”_.

 

Yugi shook his head, still hugging his legs to his chest: “I would like… I…».  
Unable to give voice to the jumble of words and incoherent thoughts swirling in his mind, all Yugi could do was punch the mattress in frustration: “He doesn’t deserve this. I would like to be… to come back to be a person able to support him, to satisfy him. But like this… how can I do it?!».  
Without realizing it, Yugi had switched from the silent conversation he was having with Atem to his normal voice, and the last words echoed in the silence of the dark bedroom. Even though his voice cracked, contaminated with new tears and hiccups.

 

 

«How can you do what?».

 

 

Taken aback, Yugi’s eyes widened and he slowly turned his head to meet Seto’s worried ones.   
The man still had his hand on the handle and the room was only lit by the light filtering through the door from the hallway, but Yugi could clearly see the anguished expression on his face. He was used to it, at that point.   
Involuntarily, his hands began to tremble, the cause being the discomfort of being for the umpteenth time the cause of that unhappiness.   
«Seto, don’t… please, leave me alone», he forced himself to say, slowly driving those words out of his mouth.   
He wanted his tone to be firm and resolute, but all he could shove in his direction was a low, almost pleading whisper.   
«I don’t want to ruin your day».

 

 

«What?».  
Petrified on the spot, Seto forced himself to salvage the gear of his mind and stretched his arm on the wall, feeling the smooth surface until his fingers finally found the light switch.   
Minutes before, Yugi had escaped upstairs so quickly he left Seto completely stunned, but when the CEO realized he was not coming back he decided to go search for him.   
And now, the ceiling light was showing him an abandoned man, clutched in his own arms, flood of tears streaming down his face and muffled sobs shook his shoulders.   
«Don’t say that, Yugi», he tried to calm him down, approaching with caution.   
His Puzzle emanated a faint golden light, a sign Atem was there with him.   
Not knowing when the spirit was, the CEO came to a halt at the foot of the bed and climbed onto the mattress from there. Sitting with his legs thrown on the side, he reached out a hand and waited for Yugi to take it.  
«Come on, Yugi».

 

 

Undecided, Yugi looked away and met Atem’s eyes, lit up with a soft light of encouragement: “Pharaoh…?”.

 

 _“Take his hand, Yugi. You don’t need to be alone”_.

 

 

«Yugi…?».

 

 

Slowly, Yugi restrained the tremor of his hands and stretched legs and arms, breaking open the cocoon in which he had locked himself up.   
Bit by bit, he reached out his hand to grab Seto’s, and was suddenly pulled him on his laps, held in a reassuringly hug.   
Yugi could distinctively feel Seto’s heartbeat under his ears, thumping against the CEO’s chest along his own, lulling him into peace.   
Chasing away some last tears, Yugi buried his face in the crook of Seto’s neck, giving in to his strong but caring grasp, and clawed at the soft fabric under his fingers: «I’m sorry, Seto. I’m so sorry», he said, his voice muffled against the CEO’s pale skin. «I don’t deserve to be… to have… I can’t even be with you, and…».

 

 

«Enough, Yugi».

 

 

Shocked by the man’s sharp voice, Yugi caught himself and fell silent. Disoriented and disconcerted by his tone, he drew back and crossed Seto’s gaze.  
«Seto…?».

 

 

«I said enough. Stop blaming yourself for everything!».  
Aware of the fact he had scared Yugi with that behavior, Seto swallowed dry but didn’t give up on his determination, and didn’t let him go: «What the fuck is going on with you? Do you really think that if you don’t feel like opening your legs and getting fucked by me makes you useless?!».  
Yugi gasped as he heard that, but Seto wasn’t having it: «Do you think that fleeing from what scared you makes you something less, in my eyes?! For the love of every existing god, do you think that not being able to have sex means you cannot be loved?!».

 

«I…».

 

 

Seto hugged him again, holding on tight, and sunk a hand into his hair as he used the other one to stroke his back: «I love you for who you are, Yugi! I… you accepted me without trying to change me. You never gave up on me, you kept fighting until you made me understand what I was refusing to see. You never got beat up by all the shit I told you, I did to you. You don’t need to… you don’t…».  
His voice broke, blocked in his throat as tears burned in his eyes, but he refused to let them escape.   
«I’m a fucking bastard, Yugi. I destroyed empires, shattered the hopes of those who failed to arrive before me, I’ve thrown away everyone. Without distinction, without caring about the consequences, I obliterated dreams and desires. I’m still a fucking asshole who doesn’t give a shit about other people if I see a profit for myself».  
Seto’s voice broke again, shaking as he kept on talking: «But you… you stayed. You insisted, and never turned your back to me, despite my fucking self-absorbed and wicked attitude. I don’t need proof, Yugi! You don’t have to prove anything to me, you don’t have to force yourself for me! If you’re scared of… - another hiccup – Yugi, what I want… what I want is for you to understand that being afraid doesn’t take anyone away from you. Love his in the heart, not in gifts and gestures».

 

 

«Seto…».

 

 

He smiled, a sad smiled, veiled with tears chained to his eyes like rain trapped in a stormy cloud: «You were the one who taught his to me. For years, since the first time we met, you’ve done nothing by try to teach me that. Now, it’s my turn to teach it to you. Be afraid, Yugi, because you’re not alone. And smile, always, because I’ll always be by your side if you need me to».

 

 

 

 

«Are you sure you’re ready, Yugi? You seem nervous».

 

 

Yugi glanced at Seto, nodding a smile. He was covered in cold sweat, and his agitation was visible, but he wasn’t going to let the tension take over.   
«I am», he assured him, «but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready. For Osiris’ sake, we’re about to launch one of the biggest titles ever created by KaibaCorp. If I wasn’t nervous, this wouldn’t even seem a feat this great».  
After months of work, indeed, their virtual reality videogame was finally about to be available to the general public.

 

Seto and Yugi had come to the Expo two days earlier, so that they could prepare everything without being distracted by the general confusion formed at the opening of the huge annex. And since then, they had worked tirelessly to offer the best they were capable of to the public.   
For those two days they entered the building at 6 am and got out at 8 pm, mostly dragged away by Roland, who forced them to eat, get in bed and sleep once back at their hotel.   
Yugi knew perfectly well if it had been for Seto, that stubborn workaholic man would have spent both days pulling all-nighters.   
But luckily, Roland was following Mokuba’s orders, and Mokuba could be even more stubborn than his brother.   
That morning the Expo had been finally opened to the public, and swarms of people had poured in that parallel world made of holograms, screens, technology and game.   
Many stopped their wanderings to observe and study latest inventions and innovations brought by KaibaCorp, while children and young teens enjoyed running from one side to the other of the building watched by their parents, enchanted by the myriad of lights and images sparkling far away, embedded in the unreachable ceiling.   
Some were Duelists, and crowded the arena Seto had built inside the annex. They deployed monster after monster on the field, announcing attacks and clever strategies as their Duel Disks projected dragons, warriors and beasts. All to show off and try new updates and devices released by the company.   
Some of their viewers screamed and gasped, in awe. The holograms had become so realistic they didn’t seem incorporeal even to the most expert eye, and no Duelist wanted to lose the unique occasion of trying out million dollars equipment.   
Seto and Yugi, instead, backed up by Mokuba via video call, stayed at their stand and hadn’t bothered to look around yet.

 

«Do you want something to eat?».  
For his part, Yugi’s stomach was tied in an anxious knot. He didn’t even have breakfast that morning save for gulping down half a cup of black coffee. Just for the sake of waking himself up, because he hated black coffee.  
But Seto dashed out of the hotel without allowing himself even that privilege.

 

 

Seto shook his head, eyes fixed on a screen full of numbers, statistic and predictions: «Later», he replied.

 

 

«Fine».   
Yugi knew the answer before receiving it, and besides it wasn’t really worth a discussion. So he sat down on the swivel chair next to him and retrieved a tablet from his backpack.   
Once turned the device on, he searched for and opened the document he had written some days before, reading the content again.   
Not that reading and rereading for hours in a row the same few pages over and over again had been useless to his memory, but Yugi wanted to be sure to not mess up his part of the presentation.   
Questions to answer were a thing, showing the baselines of their creation without mistakes was another.   
Especially because, in spite of his constant work hours as a game and videogame developer, that was the first title of such prominence he had been involved in.   
And he didn’t want to disappoint Seto.

 

About 5 pm, finally, the crow in front of and around their stand had become so thick it was impossible to even see a tiny free space for moving around.   
All the reporters were in the front row, ready with microphones, recorders and cameras, some of them with old school equipment like pen and notebook.  
All cameras, small and big ones, were focused on Seto and Yugi, as well as the eyes of the audience waiting in fervid expectation. Just like that, the King of Games was still drenched in cold sweat.  
Sitting next to Seto and flanked by two members of his crew, Yugi kept throwing glances from the loud crowd to the tablet placed on the table in front of him, agitated but also wishing to put an end to that long and ambitious project.   
As soon as Seto’s digital clock ticked 5 pm, after fixing and arranging microphones and other equipment one last time, Yugi cleared his throat and caught the general attention of both audience and reporters. He was going to introduce the audience to the videogame before showing the trailer, and then he would answer a good amount of questions after Seto’s demonstration of the gameplay.   
You would have much preferred the opposite, but when Seto asked him to speak in his place he’d accepted with few complaints. He had to get used to that kind of pressure, after all.   
Working for KaibaCorp in a place ranked so high was nothing short than an adventure, and Yugi had to face the issue of dealing with huge crowds, people waiting to see the new wonder creation of the company. That wasn’t one of his usual small videogames, introduced I front of smaller crowds thanks to other conventions and expos.

 

«Good afternoon, everyone!», he began, trying to focus his attention on the reporters more than on the public itself. Better seeing few scrutinizing and not hopeful faces than hundreds of expressions and eyes full of expectations and question.   
«This event was organized by KaibaCorp to show you, the people involved with the beautiful world of gaming and technology, those news you were all waiting for. Ad here, in this stand, we are proud to show you one of the most daring projects to have ever crossed out minds and seen the light thanks to our company.   
The Legendary Dragon is a completely new world, an open window on the dimension of our beloved Duel Monsters. A world merged with great legends of ancient times and populated by lively characters. With this title we have aimed to give all of you gaming fans the opportunity to become part of that world. The opportunity to run around, fight and live in a land made of monsters, traps and spells. Following the footsteps of the great dragon engraved in its mythology, we want to guarantee you the unrepeatable chance to wear the clothes and the armor of great adventurers, warriors, strategists and thieves, all for your enjoyment and delight.   
Armed with determination and thousands of cards and abilities, we are giving you the opportunity to create a character and a story that are all yours. We are letting every single one of you face hundreds of enemies and creatures, meet new characters, tackle an unlimited number of challenges, fights and duels.   
This is the Legendary Dragon, a game for you. A new world, infused with your creativity».

 

As planned, before the public could even think to react, as soon as Yugi stopped talking all the lights around the stand went off and the huge screen behind it suddenly came to life.  
The videogame soundtrack blasted full force from hidden speakers, and its logo appeared on the screen engulfed by roaring flames. Slifer, the legendary dragon, soared through the screen as the name of the game faded in the background.  
The trailer wasn’t long, a couple of minutes cleverly put together and studied, with a perfect edit made by the best editors employed by Seto.   
Nonetheless, it was a preview made to amaze, to strike the viewer with no room for mistakes.   
The soundtrack, written by a trustful composer and played by a pretty big orchestra (plus digitally created sounds), was embellished by the soundboard of the videogame itself and by high definition footage recorded by Seto and Yugi during long hours of test play.   
It captured the attention of the whole crowd, which broke out in a thunderous applause at the end of the trailer, eyes shining with wonder.    
From that point, Seto stepped in with a brief introduction before turning on the V.R. system and showing the portion of gameplay he had chosen on the screen.   
A taste of the bizarre Duel technique offered by the Legendary Dragon, as well as the marvelous scenography of immense open spaces and the main city of the map, rendered with graphics and artworks so perfect it was almost like real life.   
The audience let out cheers and exclamations at the appearance of the majestic Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the screen, flying in the sky as shining as stars, and many clapped their hands again to welcome the magnificently dubbed cutscene starring the Dark Magician and the game’s main character.  
Yugi, for his part, was unable to take his eyes off the phenomenal result of their work, of himself, of Seto and of that tireless and efficient crew who had dealt with many stages, retouching the game and fixing programming errors and various bugs.   
He could hardly believe how much the people were involved in that life-sucking but amazing project.

After about fifteen minutes of gameplay, for the general disappointment Seto turned off the V.R. system and ended that part of the presentation, leaving space to Yugi.  
The man, now free to talk, waited for the crowd to fall silent again before clearing his throat and exposing the videogame’s basic plot.   
Thanks to the huge deal of practice Yugi had put into the speech, the whole deal didn’t take more than ten minutes, so after that short time the firsts reporters had already begun to raise their questions about it.   
Before Yugi could answer any of them, however, an icy chill suddenly ran down his spine, like a cold shock. A feeling so unpleasant it made him shiver, as if someone had just thrown a pointy ice cube in his shirt.

 

And then he heard it.

 

It took a few moments, before realization sunk in.   
The moment after, the crowd exploded in panic, and the Expo’s security find itself busy trying to prevent incident, agents keeping as best as they could anyone from falling down and being trampled by fleeing people.   
Terrified screams resounded everywhere in the general flee, the voice of who called out their parents, loved ones and children dispersed in the terrible confusion that ensued.   
Some reporters took a couple of photos before leaving, and the bravest ones stayed on the scene to record everything, but Yugi…  
Yugi was paralyzed, his eyes wide open in a horrified, rather than shocked, expression.   
As the medical staff and security guards rushed to their stand, Yugi couldn’t help but be frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the red stain slowly spreading over Seto’s chest.   
The noise of the gunshot echoed in his ears too suddenly, so that he didn’t even realize what had just happened, as well as the crowd still screaming in a desperate search for a way out.   
When he became aware of the circumstances and looked away from the people fleeing to his side, he felt his heart stop.   
Blood splattered on his face, Yugi turned his head and saw Seto collapsed on the ground, his hand trembling and clenching the fabric where the bullet had struck him, pale and gasping for the pain inflicted to him by the gunshot.

 

Only when the medical team finally managed to reach them to take Seto to a hospital, only then Yugi broke down.   
Pure terror made his way inside him, shaking his body to the core, while helpless and anguished tears ran down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry.   
> Not even a small bit.  
> Nope.   
> I'm a bad person and by now you should know it. 
> 
>  
> 
> I'll try to get the new chapter out in a more reasonable time, but I'm not going to promise a new one every two weeks again. I'm about to start a couple of really difficult classes at my university, so I don't know how much time and what kind of time I'm going to have to write.   
> What I promise, however, is the complexion of this story.   
> I don't want to leave this incomplete, so, for as much time as it will need, this story is going to be finished, with a beautiful ending I already have planned in my mind.   
> So stay always tuned, and don't leave this ship now that you've boarded it.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading this chapter, and if you have any kind of advice or comment about it, feel free to comment below and I'll be really happy to read your opinion. 
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> «Seto…»  
> His shoulders shaking with sobs, kneeling on the cold hard floor of his now empty room, Yugi could see nothing but one thing.   
> «I know you can hear me»  
> Blood.   
> Not red, but a crimson so deep it almost seemed black.  
> Dark drippings on pure white tiles, red streaks leading away from the spot where the bullet hit, and then white again.   
> «Pl-please…»  
> The knife in his hand wasn’t steady.   
> His fingers kept trembling in fear.  
> Tiny droplets of blood needed a long time to slither down his wrist and onto his fingers, until they dropped on the dusty floor.  
> «Don’t leave me».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, right on time. I would have wanted this to come out a few days earlier, but I've had some issues with university and whatnot, so I couldn't finish it until now.   
> Talk about a deadline, uh?
> 
> As the other ones, this chapter has not been beta'd (cause, you know, I don't have friends), so I deeply apologized for any mistakes. If they're there, they're not because I wanted them to be there.

_«Seto…»_

 

His shoulders shaking with sobs, kneeling on the cold hard floor of his now empty room, Yugi could see nothing but one thing.

_« I know you can hear me»_

Blood.   
Not red, but a crimson so deep it almost seemed black.  
Dark drippings on pure white tiles, red streaks leading away from the spot where the bullet hit, and then white again.

 

_«Pl-please…»_

They took him away, so quickly Yugi was still shell-shocked and frozen in place when the helicopter took off.   
His face, streaked with tears, stayed blank and emotionless during the whole trip back. His mind only remembering the look of helplessness on his boyfriend’s face.   
His ears hearing nothing but his painful gasps, and terrified screams.

 

_«Please, wake up»_

The knife in his hand wasn’t steady.   
His fingers kept trembling in fear.  
Tiny droplets of blood needed a long time to slither down his wrist and onto his fingers, until they dropped on the dusty floor.

 

 _« Please, wa_ _k_ _e_ _u_ _p_ _…»._

 

And then, suddenly, someone knocked the knife off his hand.  
The item touched the ground with a metallic noise, making Yugi’s nose scrunch up in annoyance.   
When his grandfather knelt in front of him, snatching his wrist to examine little, jagged cuts, Yugi only saw his lips moving. His eyes filled with worry and fear.  
Nothing else.   
Everything was too blurred, every sound muffled, even in his mind.  
Maybe Atem was trying to call him, screaming at the top of his lungs, as Yugi tried to kill himself.   
The Puzzle was glowing, a burning gold light, but Yugi didn’t care.   
As his grandfather tried his best to cover self-inflicted wounds, Yugi didn’t register his touch. He didn’t hear the loud ambulance approaching.

 

_«Don’t leave me»._

Maybe Solomon realized too late.   
Maybe Yugi’s plan worked.  
Too many cuts on his skin, too many pills taken. Too many tears shed.  
Finally, as Domino’s medical team barged into the room, Yugi’s consciousness faded away, lost in the deepest darkness of his mind.   
And blood kept dripping away.

 

 

^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^

 

 

«Primary survey, now!».

 

In the extremely frenetic situation in which the medical team was operating, while on a not so steady helicopter, orders flew from one person to another, everyone working quickly and efficiency to operate the ATLS program.   
Advanced trauma life support was the most important and prominent thing they could do in that moment, without proper equipment and on a moving aircraft, and there was definitely an urgent need to understand how critical the wound was.   
Kaiba’s right arm “gave” the CEO to them to keep him alive for as much time as possible, and the team analyzed all their options, pondering resuscitation or life-saving maneuvers.   
Unluckily, Seto had completely lost consciousness shortly after he was placed on the stretcher by rescues, so two of the team immediately started dealing with airway management.

 

«Check the airway, they could be obstructed!».

 

Another order, this time directly for the head doctor, quickly complied to reveal blood obstructed airways.   
Without wasting a single second, the team decided to resort to an endotracheal tube, to prevent Seto from suffocating in his own blood.  
Meanwhile, the rest of the team took care of carrying out other ATLS steps, trying to find life-threatening thoracic conditions as well as examining where the bullet struck.   
The bullet had hit the left side, and the first two hypothesis made were regarding possible damage to both heart and lungs.   
Something fairly impossible to confirm at first sight and no equipment, and more worrying because the bullet didn’t have a way out.   
To make everything worse, a severe hemorrhage was leading Seto on the edge of a hypovolemic shock, the blood loss barely controlled and contained by emergency procedures.

The entire trip passed in feverish activity, controls and intervention to minimize the risk of mortality and maintain a stable monitoring of Seto’s vital signs.   
The CEO arrived in critical conditions at Domino’s hospital, conducted in the operating room soon after the helicopter landed, just after undergoing mandatory exams.  
The hospital staff, forced to give highest priority to his case, took the issue in hand with utmost discretion and fast approach, careful not to spread that red alert in the whole building.

 

«5 million penicillin G and immunoglobulin, immediate administration».

«Anti-tetanus administered, patient ready for surgery».

 

The operating room was a continuous rebound of orders dictated by the surgeon and affirmative responses coming from his assistants.  
Inspecting the wound inflicted by the gunshot, the surgeon identified it as a pretty clean one, with no exit hole, but deep enough to have damaged a pulmonary artery.   
In addition to that, the diagonal trajectory of the bullet had caused lesions to the descending thoracic artery, main reason for the hemorrhage still contained by two assistants.   
In short, Seto could die of severe blood loss or by drowning in his own blood.

«Long distance shot, the bullet is still inside. Damage to pulmonary and descending thoracic artery, compromised airways. Cardiac arrest doesn’t seem imminent, but keep prepared for that. Ready to administer anesthesia».

 

 

 

 

Yugi stayed in the hospital waiting room for hours.   
Seating perfectly still, frozen in time and space on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, Mokuba by his side and Roland pacing back and forth in the room while on the phone, trying to direct operations and explain everything he could to trustworthy KaibaCorp. employees.   
The man had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, which he was continuously wiping away with an handkerchief.   
The voices on the other side of the phone line were noisy, worried, some even panicked. Other ones were steady and tried to throw commands in order to keep the situation under control, avoiding leaking the entire building the assassination attempt Seto had been involved in.   
Mokuba, even thought he initially tried to hold on his strength for the sake of his brother’s company, gave in to concern and sat nearly as still as Yugi, hands clasped tightly together to prevent them from shaking, drops of cold sweat running down in temples.   
He had arrived at the hospital way more time before Seto, making sure everything would be kept under low lights.  
That, Yugi knew without having to ask.   
The younger Kaiba had been frantically moving up and down the waiting room for a whole eternity, occasionally suffocating harsh sighs and shedding tears made of pure frustration, before surrendering to the inevitable and unending passing of time.   
Eventually, just like Roland, Mokuba had stopped pretending to be calm and truly hopeful. When Yugi turned his head to look at him, those rare times he dared to avert his gaze from white wall tiles, his face was deeply hidden in his hands, the young man body’s shaken by feeble sobs.

 

 

«Yugi, you have to eat something», Roland tried to shake him out of it, forgetting the formalities. There was no need on keeping them on, not at a moment like that.   
The man’s face was ashen, the constant trembling of his hands not difficult to notice. He still had splatters of dried blood on his cheeks, still there since Yugi didn’t bother to clean them up. «You can’t go on like that. Please, Yugi».  
He knew what was going on with the man. Just like he could feel Mokuba’s pain, Roland was aware of how much agony was passing through Yugi.   
Despite he always tried to maintain a low profile regarding the matter, even with them personally, the relationship between Seto and Yugi had struck him from the beginning, a bolt of light in a life that always seemed contaminated by putrid darkness.   
Roland came to know it as a fact because Mokuba accidentally slipped out the information for him, tired from a long day, but he didn’t need the confirmation. Just the look he could see in Seto’s eyes, when they were all for Yugi, was enough.   
And even if his boss liked to hide his feelings, seeing them as a weakness, Roland never missed that hopeful look in his eyes, that sheer determination in bringing everything back to have his happiness at hand.   
Yugi wasn’t different, in that. He showed far more feelings than Seto, in fact, he was the one teaching him they weren’t a weak spot, but he was also less resilient.   
Roland could see, more than feel, the thoughts swirling in the mind of that brilliant Duelist and developer. Fears and disasters hurling his frame, invisible but there.   
He didn’t want to fail him. Since he became part of the family, Roland took Yugi’s well-being as his responsibility just as much, and he wanted to help him.   
He felt so helpless, when he saw that wasn’t an option.

 

 

Yugi shook his head, an almost imperceptible movement, all his muscles tensed so much his whole body started aching.   
He didn’t want to get up from that chair, he didn’t even want to move. The only thing he wanted to do, he could do, was to wait in pure silence. Praying to anyone willing to listen, praying Seto would still be alive when he’d see him.   
After the gunshot crashed upon him, Yugi stopped thinking clearly. The eventuality of having to say goodbye to Seto for the last time, a sickening white corpse encased in a coffin, exploded in his brain and was etched behind his eyes.   
Even the thought made him shiver, disrupted by a wave colder than the shadows themselves. An ache so painful in his chest, Yugi felt like he was drowning, head dunked in deep waters filled with dulled screams.   
Seto could not end like that.   
His life _was not_ going to be torn away from him by a sick bastard.  
Death was something Seto should welcome, not fear. A quiet, awaited peace that had to come after fulfilling his dreams, having lived life to its fullest. Seto would have crossed the threshold to afterlife hand in hand with Yugi, with blinding hope to reunite with Atem, and Seth, and all of those old friends.   
He couldn’t die so young.   
It wasn’t fair.

_Life is not fair_

 

Words echoing in his mind again and again, a lethal poison made of letters and inaudible sounds that, piece by piece, kept on taking away every tiny fragments of his shattered heart.

Life was a swirling path of obstacles and challenges, a crazy roller-coaster made up of forward momentum, backwards steps, reversal and hard decisions.   
Life was an unsteady bridge, keeping its shape but swiveling left and right, fighting unending winds of doubts, standing proud with accomplishments.   
Just like that, life was capable of turning everything up and down. Life could build wonders, and tear them all down with no effort. Life could obliterate even the strongest barricade with the lightest breath.   
A car accident, a fall, an illness, another person… life had many ways to turn a happy life upside down.   
In everyone’s thoughts, death was evil. A painful truth.   
Yugi knew they’re wrong.   
Death was a kind offering, a welcoming end.   
Life was a devastating lie, always ready to break hopes, smiles, even itself.

 

However…

 

Life was still a challenge to face head-on, a race against time, a gift someone wished upon everyone else. A desperate escape from the burning cold of hell, from that endless pit of darkness those who die alone have to endure.   
Life was a gift to treasure, bad or good, fair or unfair.

But, as much as life was capable of taking and giving, while thinking about that Yugi stopped caring.   
Only exasperation crowded his subconscious, filled with anger and resentment towards that same life. A life that so easily decided to pull the trigger and turn against a man who had tried with all his might to make up for all his mistakes.   
Seto didn’t deserve it.   
He had been questionable, Yugi couldn’t bring himself to doubt the truth, but Seto’s entire existence was based on corrupted roots, rotten to the point they bent under their own weight, ruined and torn by oh so well hidden weaknesses, sadness and pain endured for days, months, years even.   
Seto had done so much to abandon that dark and bottomless abyss where he had fallen, only to be dragged back in it by the hands of someone who lived on nothing but hate.   
The same hate Seto had always ignored, shaken off as if it was an annoying fly, a matter of little consequence.   
All to carry out his project, to guarantee fun and smiles to people of all ages, to protect the ones he loved.

 

«It’s not fair…».

 

 

 

 

Mokuba had finally succumbed to the tempting lullaby of sleep when, finally, the red light shining on the operating room’s door went out.   
Roland noticed immediately, and jumped to his feet as soon as he spotted a doctor approaching.

 

 

The woman had a medical file in her hands, the document listing personal information and conditions of their famous patient.   
She raised an eyebrow upon approaching, uncertain: «Who can I talk to?».  
Of course, she had instantly recognized Kaiba’s younger brother, but even the sheer cold attitude she had to have regarding issues like that could induce her to wake him up.   
And the other man, the one the world loved to call King of Games, he was…

 

 

«You can talk to me», Roland replied quickly, noticing the questioning look she was giving Yugi.   
Yugi, still inert on the same chair, eyes so bloodshot and empty they didn’t look his anymore.   
If someone was to receive a bad news, Roland was the best option. He didn’t want to put Yugi or Mokuba in the middle of the issue, if Seto…  
«How’s the situation?».  
Not “Is he alright?”.  
That question was too scary to ask.

 

 

The doctor took a few steps backwards and cleared her throat, closing the medical file with a sharp click: «The surgery was successful. Mr. Kaiba suffered severe internal and external bleeding, critical damage to pulmonary and thoracic artery, and a slight fracture where the bones stopped the bullet. Our surgeon completely stopped the bleeding and removed the bullet, although a possible transfusion is still to be decided. However, the patient has a high probability of surviving and is not risking complications».

 

 

Roland nodded, a bit relieved upon hearing that, but the doctor’s voice cracked just enough to make him worry.  
«But…?».

 

 

The woman sighed, glancing over the shoulder of Kaiba’s faithful right hand man before shaking her head: «The psychological trauma seems to have been far more serious than we initially thought. We are not able to fully analyze Mr. Kaiba mental conditions at the moment, and CAT exams didn’t show anything wrong in his brain. Nothing we could do responded as it should, therefore his current conditions could be only temporary».

 

 

«Get to the point».

 

 

She frowned, not wanting to drop that bomb so quickly: «Seto Kaiba is in a coma. We don’t have any way f knowing if he would ever wake up».

 

 

 

 

The antiseptic room could not have been quieter.   
A constant _bip_ coming from a heavy machine monitoring Seto’s heartbeat was the only kind of sound polluting the perfect silence of the environment, so bare and white it could be mistaken for a surreal painting.   
Maybe it wasn’t even white, but that was the lone color Yugi could perceive.   
His eyes were incapable of seeing the vibrant blue coating a bunch of flowers on a bedside table, nor the bright orange shade of a beautiful sunset filtering through opaque curtains.   
He was unable to distinguish the deep black tint of his coat, hanging from a rack near the door. The blaringly obvious gold of the Millennium Items resting near each other.   
He didn’t make out their faint glow, more and more visible as the room got enveloped by a soft twilight brought by evening.   
That ghastly, corpselike, infinite white was the only thing Yugi could recognize. The untainted color of death.

The difference was, that death wasn’t concerning the man confined in a velvety bed, kept alive by long, thin plastic tubes blowing air in his lungs, IV medicine dripping and flowing in his veins, preventing Seto from dying.  
No, death enveloped the young man next to him in its slithering hands, wrapping his trembling frame in tight coils. Those kind claws suffocated him more and more with every second, taking him away in the darkest and labyrinthine meanders of the underworld.   
Yugi never stopped calling him, talking to him, telling him he was trying to go on. He didn’t let the man how much he was failing to do so. Yugi just kept on narrating, words lost in tears and stifled sobs, all following a vain hope, feeling his hand squeezing back. His eyes shine again with the same dazzling blue light that had bewitched him from the very beginning.  
But Seto didn’t answer.   
Silent, lost in an endless and inexplicable sleep, he listened to those conversations without hearing them.   
Not that he could answer anyway, hushed up because of frightening tubes running down his throat, bringing life into his lungs.   
Seto’s heart was obstinate, never weakened, never calming down.   
The problem was… he was missing his soul.   
Yugi was conversing with a seemingly empty shell, a lifeless mannequin, not even the shadow of a person who loved challenging him, encouraging him, loved him.

When the nurse came in the room to tell him it was time to leave, Yugi forgot he was still holding Seto’s hand. He forgot he had, once again, his face streaked with helpless tears. He forgot he had that same hand raised to his face, to his lips, breathing what was left of Seto’s sweet and spicy scent.   
For what was worth it, Yugi didn’t care anymore.   
The world could think whatever it wanted to think. Yugi didn’t have the strength to care.

 

 

 

 

After a month, Solomon also showed up in the hospital, and wasn’t surprised upon finding Yugi asleep in the bumpy armchair next to the bed.  
Mokuba had eventually convinced the staff to allow him to stay beyond visiting hours and during the night, but only after having discussed the issue with Solomon and fixed the complicated state of things arisen within the company.   
Since then, as foreseen Yugi came more and more rarely to work and for less time every time, preferring to stay close to Seto. And Mokuba kindly let him be, not wanting to add more pain on his heart.  
At some point, Yugi had even take the hard decision of leaving the mansion, even thought he never managed to.

 

 

 

 

The shop was crowded as usual, comings and goings of kids and adults looking for cards or video-games controlled but uninterrupted.   
Despite Yugi’s concerns, Solomon had not yet decided to permanently hang up his job and retire, so handfuls of customers kept the old man behind the counter until Ashley pointed out someone rang the bell.   
Puzzled, Solomon frowned: «I’ll check out the door, I don’t think it’ll take long», he said to the young woman, still working tirelessly six days a week.  
No one ever visited while the shop was open, unless under appointment with Solomon. Even when his old bones and his grandson attitude forced him to stay home, Solomon preferred keeping everyone out of the house until the Kame Game closing hour, mostly for security reasons.   
Not a few had tried to sneak into the house of the King of Games to steal something, after all. And all taking advantage of some similar distractions.   
Maybe Solomon should accept Kaiba’s advice and keep a couple security agents just to be sure.

Whoever the person at the door was, they weren’t insistent, because the bell didn’t ring anymore.   
Solomon though maybe they gave up and left, but upon opening the door he was dumbfounded: «Yugi? What are you doing here? Did something happen? You don’t… Yugi, are you okay?».  
Yugi’s face was as pale as snow, his expression blank and devoid of his usual vitality. It was like looking back at the crisis he endured months before, only worse.   
«Yugi…?».

 

 

«Seto’s at the hospital».

 

 

«What?»

 

 

Yugi didn’t answer.  
Instead, he passed his grandfather and climber the stairs leading upstairs, not bothering to take off his shoes and leave them on the landing.   
He only stopped once he reached the living room, where he fell on the couch, eyes low and fixed on a clean floor.  
He noticed his grandfather was there too when the couch cushions sank beside him, signaling his presence. If his footsteps had made noise, Yugi didn’t hear it.  
The silence was thick, a dense layer of ghostly smoke, and didn’t break for a long time. Enough for the longest clock hand to move.  
Then, Yugi forced his raspy and tired voice out, fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into the left and left tiny crescents on his palms: «Someone shot him. He’s alive. He’s not waking up».  
Broken sentences from a broken soul, so barely audible Yugi himself could ignore them. He took so long to form them the clock moved again, more than before.   
Yugi hadn’t spoken for days, barely ate and drank, only caring about his body when his needs called for extreme help. Maybe he wasn’t even the one listening to those desperate calls. Maybe Atem was taking advantage of his weakened state of mind to forcefully take over and let him survive. Every flavor was a blur, every bite just mushy food in his mouth automatically swallowed down.   
He didn’t remember.   
He couldn’t remember.

He tried, but Yugi forgot everything. He only remembered the street leading to the hospital and then back home.   
The faces of his friends were blurry, like badly executed drawings erased by poor quality materials. Sharp black lines, shapeless shapes and mixed colors.   
Still distinguishable, but unrecognizable.   
Their names nothing but ink lines knotted and tangles, smudged by drops of salt water and completely illegible.   
Yugi tried to remember his grandfather’s name, the details of his features. The man beside him was a complete stranger to him, although he knew him.   
He didn’t even know how or why he came back to that house. Did he?

 

 

Solomon had no idea what to say.   
He didn’t have the slightest idea of what happened, given no public news or media had ever hinted at some sort of accident involving the CEO of KaibaCorp.   
The old man wanted to ask Yugi more details, taken aback upon learning Seto had been shot, but as he saw the immense wave of helplessness and anguish in his grandson eyes, the question died in his throat.  
«Why are you here?», he asked instead.

 

 

As before, Yugi didn’t answer immediately.   
Why was he there? How did he get there? Was it Atem’s decision? Did his dark half take the reins of his body and lead him to an old house?  
«I can’t stay there. I can’t stand it», was the reply, lips moving on their own, Yugi’s mind still wondering in an endless labyrinth.   
His soul hurt, tearing apart from the inside, half of it lost in unknowing silence.  
«I’m too scared».

_Scared of what?_

 

Scared of waking up day after day in a bed that was too big for him, too cold and lonely for one person.   
To open his eyes during a dark night and see Seto’s brilliant sapphire immersed in pure black ink, staring at him, reminding him he was alone in that lifeless room.   
To live in an illusion made of vain hopes and nightmares, waiting for Seto to open the door and embrace him, a sweet habit never been so bitter.

 

_You can’t be scared of hope_

Yugi was too scared to go home.   
Every single time, after leaving the huge office in the skyscraper or the damned hospital room, Yugi didn’t want to go back.   
He went on and on, walking aimlessly until his legs pleaded for mercy, riding his bike until he ran out of fuel, just so he wouldn’t cross those double doors of damnation.   
On the other side, Mokuba kept on moving forward, leading the company with renewed energy, never failing to get some free time to visit his brother. There was no day the flowers on the bedside table weren’t fresh.   
He kept hoping, smiling in the face of death, taunting it.  
But Yugi…

«If I stay, I’ll never stop hoping. I’m too scared of that».

 

 

 

 

 

 

«Go get something to eat, Yugi. The nurse said you haven’t touched food since yesterday morning», he tried to convince him.   
Not surprisingly, although Yugi woke up when Solomon shook him, he didn’t answer not gave sign of having heard him.   
Sighing, the old man left the room and went scouting for a vending machine, trading coins for a simple sandwich. It wasn’t much, and certainly not the best food ever, but given the difficult task of getting Yugi to eat it, that was the easiest option.   
And as expected, it took almost a full hour to talk Yugi into eating the whole sandwich.   
Solomon didn’t really want to force him, but as kindly as possible he still almost shoved that weird combination of white bread and ham down his throat.   
Yugi seemed to have lost any interest in keeping himself alive, only paying attention to Seto. He was lucky if Atem drove his body away to take care of his needs.

Solomon stayed with him for a couple of hours, even thought his grandson had stopped listening to him as soon as he finished eating. The old man couldn’t even tell if Yugi was even listening in the first place.   
Immediately after swallowed down the last bite, Yugi immediately turned to look at Seto and grabbed his hand, cupping it in his palms, his back bent forward until his forehead rested on soft sheets and mattress. And since then he made no movements, nor shown signs of wanting to move at all.   
He had done so just to leave room for the nurse who came to check Seto’s conditions mumbling at perfect data on monitors, before returning to same exact position.

When the old man decided to leave, finding impossible to even be of company for his grandson, he was stopped by the same nurse in the hallway.   
As suspected, he had a fairly curious attitude, and almost did near to no conversation at all before asking him what was really going on between the CEO and the King of Games. Luckily, he had the decency of dragging the old man to a reasonable distance from any open ears.   
Solomon thought about it for a while, uncertain about answering or not, because that kind of situation wasn’t his to stick the nose in. But, he ultimately decided to tell him the truth.   
Lying made no sense, at that point. And that nurse was assigned to Seto in any case, so better let out a truth rather than create suspicious ideas.   
«Yugi and Seto are involved in a pretty serious romantic relationship, there’s no point in denying it. But please, don’t try to interfere or disclose this information, they’ve both been hit hard enough for a lifetime. Neither of them needs even more pressure, especially now», he answered, carefully measuring his words.   
He didn’t want to confirm out loud Seto and Yugi were, in fact, boyfriends at that point , and the nurse seemed to grab the hidden warning right away.   
With a nod, the man agreed to maintain a low profile and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the old man free to leave.

Not that he really wanted to, because staying close to his grandson was his biggest concern, but he had never felt so powerless in his whole life.   
Not even when, trapped with opportunistic assassins, he had to overcome with quick thinking and luck the dangers waiting for him in the tomb of Pharaoh Atem.   
At least, when Yugi was the one locked in an hospital room, shocked out of his mind and bruised all over the body, Solomon was still able to talk to him.   
But like that… Yugi was a marble statue, immovable and inert, so silent not even his eyes leaked out some sort of emotion apart from misery.   
«Come back, Yugi… don’t give up now. You never did», he whispered to himself, praying his wish would reach Yugi’s soul.

 

 

 

 

Two months later, the medical team Mokuba had permanently assigned to his brother had yet to understand the reason behind his inexplicable coma.   
Despite all the doctors being the best in the world, no one of them had the slightest clue about what was going on. The coma didn’t look natural, and was obviously not induced by drugs or controlled hypothermia. Seto was in wonderful health, for heaven’s sake, he just wasn’t waking up.   
The young Kaiba could only try to grab water in his hands as it slipped between his fingers. The puzzle of that absurd circumstance was impossible to solve, and the fact Yugi refused to come home and discuss the issue wasn’t helping.   
Rather, from what Mokuba had managed to see of him, while visiting his brother, Yugi’s health was in worse conditions than Seto.   
Mokuba suffered immensely in seeing his brother, normally so full of energy, reduced in that lifeless state. Every single day he glanced at the empty seat beside him in the limo, on the couch, even at the kitchen table, hoping he could be back.  
His days went on wishing, but he managed to find the strength needed to keep on walking and working.   
Yugi, on the other hand, was a living corpse.   
If Mokuba spent a couple of sleepless nights and hid dark circles under his eyes with good amounts of concealer, Yugi barely slept.   
Every time he saw him, Yugi had darker and deeper circles marking his face, his body was already starting to look like a skeleton for how little he ate. One day, even, he walked in on a nurse forcing food into his mouth, threatening him to attach an IV to his arm.   
The only occasions in which Yugi had eaten something without being forced, Atem’s rubies shone faintly in his dull eyes.   
Another day, Mokuba had to take advantage of the fact Yugi had collapsed from exhaustion to bring him home, in a bed, expressly ordering Roland and all the staff to avoid letting him out of the mansion for any reason.   
At one point Roland had come to shove him in the bathroom to convince the man to shower, but Yugi had become so apathetic not even a locked door worked.   
In the end, resigned, Mokuba returned home and took care of the matter, literally treating Yugi as a child, undressing him before giving him a  bath.  
He no longer responded to anything, all he was doing was a never ending routine.   
He went to the hospital first thing in the morning, he came back last thing at night. When he bothered to come back, at least.   
And when he did, most of the time Yugi refused to go in their room, falling asleep directly on the couch just to restart the same route the morning after.

On that particular day Mokuba had given orders to keep an eye on Yugi, so he was sitting alone in Seto’s hospital room, the chair so uncomfortable his bones were protesting one after another.   
As always, the _bip_ coming from the heart monitor broke the silence at regular intervals, a nuisance Mokuba hoped to never stop.   
For as long as t machine disturbed the still quiet in the room, Seto’s heart would beat. That was enough.

Upon seeing him in that motionless state, Mokuba couldn’t help but think about what happened years before, when Seto took the mad decision of embarking on a ridiculous journey through dimensions.   
Mokuba knew, back then, Seto could have been reduced to the same comatose state, if not even died, leaving his brother alone and helpless as the head of the largest company in the world.  
Without a family, without his big brother to rely on.   
Seto had been so convinced he wouldn’t return he ended up telling his last will to Mokuba, gifting him the result of years worth of hard work.   
Years before, Mokuba had in himself a burning hope, he had never given up, following his brother’s progress step by step, checking vital parameters every five minutes.   
He refused to sleep and eat for days while waiting for his return, and when the capsule reappeared in their dimension with Seto still alive (and very much shaken) inside he had cried for so long he became ill.   
Now, seeing Seto frozen in himself, Mokuba couldn’t bring his tears to come again.   
The same burning hope was still there, still calling his name to watch as brilliant eyes flutter open, but it wasn’t scorching anymore.   
It hurt, the feeling of powerlessness and inadequacy pulling at his heartstrings and getting in the way of his breath, but hope was more of a warm feeling now, rather than a blistering fire.   
A quiet resignation, an awareness of something that could have happened at any moment.   
Many, over the years, had wanted Seto dead.   
Enemies and victims of Gozaburo in search of revenge, fanatical antagonists of Seto himself, opponents of KaibaCorp. alone.   
Dozens, perhaps hundreds of people claimed their rights, shouted their accuses, asked for that empire to topple over ignoring how much pain went into building it stone by stone.   
Several have tried to disintegrate it starting from its roots.   
The Big Five were the major example of that, an assembly of grumpy and bitter old workers that came not once, but twice to steal the company. They went as far as persecuting Seto with their requests, and when that failed, they teamed up with Pegasus first, and with the virtual consciousness of Noah after. Their twisted machinations lead them to trap his brother in order to torture him, using Mokuba as a weapon and a defense, throwing insults and lies at him.   
After that, another major attempt on his life was made by the hands of those poor souls involved in a war funded by Gozaburo, the same one Alister accused Seto of approving.   
He ended up to the hospital two years prior, sent straight to the operating room with a knife jammed in his back and another just above the heart.   
Fighting between life and death for the umpteenth time in his young life, Seto had Mokuba by his side day and night, and got back to his feet regardless of the consequences.   
Yugi, too, refused to leave him alone, despite the confusion still lingering between them at that time.

Horrible as it was, while remembering that Mokuba realized he had gotten used to those accidents, to that resignation coming with the aftermath of a difficult operation.  
The stakes were too high to surrender, even if the thought of eventually losing Seto still dilapidated him from within.   
But Yugi had an entirely different mindset.   
For long and difficult days, Mokuba had thought and pondered his faded reaction upon learning Seto’s comatose and unknown state, how it wasn’t even comparable to Yugi’s silent cries.   
He had been so indifferent when Roland sat him down to explain the condition in which his brother was living. He hadn’t bat an eye when putting together the best scientists and doctors to find a possible cause.   
Yugi, instead, had been so devastated he fell in that cathartic state, deaf to everything and anyone, mute except for some sporadic words or muttering thrown in the wind.   
Mokuba saw him shedding so many tears and screaming for so long he became an empty, memoryless husk, a burnt body moved around by damaged and broken threads.

Mokuba had often wondered if the sake of the company had been enough of a challenge to put his brother aside, if he had lost the deep and loving care he had for him, but he soon realized the situation was far more complex than that.   
Not that he knew much of it, in fact, his knowledge was fairly limited and followed what he had heard from his brothers eons before. But after a while, the focus of the issue had fallen on his so harsh and cold an icy waterfall was hotter.   
While Mokuba was experiencing a normal share of pain, fighting with dangerous hopes, Yugi wasn’t suffering only his own.   
So worried about his own fading concern, as he feared, Mokuba never thought about it. However, the reason behind Yugi’s worsening health and mental conditions had become clearer than water the day he, ironically, had taken on himself the task of getting him to take a bath.   
As he was undressing him, the moment he touched the Millennium Puzzle to slip it from his neck, the young Kaiba had felt a terrifying tidal wave coming from the Item fusing with his own soul.   
That agony had upset him so much he avoided shattering the Puzzle out of pure luck.   
Mokuba concern wasn’t growing fainter.   
Yugi, the same man who had endured a lifetime of bad memories and adventure, who had been mugged, kidnapped, tortured, lynched almost, was bearing on his shoulders both his and Atem’s torturing pain, a cruel fate for someone who deserved so much better.   
Mokuba was suffering, but Yugi…  
Yugi was dying.

«You have to wake up, Seto. Please, big brother, if you can hear me, open your eyes. Please».  
In a low voice, a whispered prayer echoing in pure silence, Mokuba repeated those words again and again, until he was exhausted.   
If Seto could hear him, in any way, he wanted the message to get to him.   
He was already losing his brother. He couldn’t bear saying the final goodbye to his new family, too.   
«Wake up, Seto…», he said again, a lump in his throat as tears refused to fall. «Don’t leave me alone. Don’t… don’t leave him alone. Please, I beg of you, Seto. Come back».

 

 

 

 

Darkness was lost to the eye, every direction Seto looked towards a dark and smoky veil hid everything, concealing shapes, sounds, voices.  
Echoes from far away stoked his ears, continuously, in a one-way conversation without a break. That voice seemed familiar to him, the faint resonance chocked him in a grip all but terrible. It filled his essence with warm heat, fighting a perennial icy obscurity.  
Seto had no idea where he was, or why he was in a place devoid of space and time perception.   
The last thing he remembered was the deafening sound of a gunshot, a tremendous pain in his chest, and Yugi’s eyes before closing his own.   
An eternity later he had woken up in a perpetual night, a deep and immovable shade filled with toxic fog and a silence so deafening as to lead to madness.   
It didn’t take long for the CEO to figure out he was prisoner of something, or someone.   
Lying on the ground, lost in the dark mist slithering and smoking in every direction, Seto couldn’t move.   
Nothing physical immobilized him, there were no constraints freezing his body down in that position. Simply, his body gave him the sensation he had lost every single grain f energy he had stored in it.   
It was as if a colossal weight forced him to the ground, his face looking upwards in an endless abyss swirling with images, voices, unknown of forgotten people and sensations.

But no, darkness was not complete.   
Not entirely, at least.  
It took Seto some time to figure it out, rolling his eyes as much as he could while looking for a way out, some sort of escape from that ethereal prison.   
Fear was starting to take a hold of him, twisting and knotting his insides almost painfully. He, who always claimed not to be afraid of anything, who had faced the afterlife and the Egyptian Gods in person, who had walked through the boiling sands of Ancient Egypt in search of his rival while his body disintegrated.   
His broad ignorance overwhelmed him more second after second, increasing the awareness of being lost, trapped, at the mercy of a never ending darkness.   
A darkness, however, pushed away from a single corner.   
A small, tiny speck of light, a golden glow barely visible among the unhealthy fog plaguing the air.

«Show yourself!», Seto had tried to exclaim, but his voice refused to come out, a hoarse, painful an scraping sound the only thing resounding in the silent dimness of the abyss.   
There was someone with him, there _had_ to be someone.   
Seto couldn’t have ended in that damned limbo by his own free will.

Pegasus, maybe? No, the slimy exploiter had lost the Millennium Eye years before, torn from his eye socket by Bakura’s bloodthirsty claws.   
Bakura himself? Seto excluded it regardless. The thief could be a bastard at heart, but he was an honest bastard. Zorc wasn’t there anymore to pull the strings of his puppet.   
But then… who?  
The only Millennium Item near him was the Puzzle, and Yugi would never do such a thing, right?  
No, Seto didn’t even try to believe that eventuality, his imprisonment could never be the result of some sort of conundrum going on with Yugi and Atem. Not even their darker sides would torture him that way.

 

 _“Are you really that blind, Seto? I thought your mind was brighter than that”_.

 

That voice…  
No, it couldn’t be him.   
Why should he be?!

 

_“Really, you cannot get there? Come on, try a little harder, use that brain of yours you love so much to brag about. The answer is not that far from reach”._

 

The answer wasn’t far from reach?  
If Seto could, he would have kicked the spirit in the balls without even thinking twice about it.

 

 _“Oh, come on, why rely on violence? You cannot move, might as well get some gears moving. Is not that how you solve all your problems? Using that brain to the point of exhaustion? To the point of making the only two people you love drown in worry?”_.

 

A bolt from the blue.  
Was that the reason? Was that the reason why Seth had turned against him?

 

_Keep thinking, little one. Go on, untie all the knots you created. But remember, you do not have much time. Soon, you will no longer be alone, and finally your heart will finally cease to beat”._

 

 

^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^        ^^^

 

 

«Why didn’t you ask the doctors to hospitalize him before this happened?».  
Angry, Solomon failed to stop himself from flailing against Seto’s younger brother, sitting behind his desk in the huge office he occupied at KaibaCorp.   
From the last time the old man had seen his grandson entire weeks had passed, despite his more than insistent attempts on knowing how he was doing.   
Mokuba, however, had the man under his eyes all the time, right?

 

 

Tolerant, Mokuba didn’t respond using the same tone to Yugi’s grandfather. Instead, he sighed and shook his head: «I tried, but Yugi kept refusing to take any kind of test. And honestly, I was too afraid of an eventual breakdown to force him. Now I feel guilty for not having done it, you have every right to yell at me. But… - Mokuba sighed again, rubbing his forehead as a relief from his persistent headache – I couldn’t».  
Three months after the attempted assassination Yugi’s health conditions had considerably worsened, but despite the fact Mokuba could have possibly taken advantage of his non-stop presence in the hospital, he didn’t have the courage to give an order to a doctor.   
He was scared of luring Yugi back in the suicidal state of mind he repressed months before, but hadn’t thought about the risk of hoping all could go well on its own.   
And now, Yugi was paying the consequences, unconscious in a bed next to Seto’s and hooked to various machines keeping him alive.   
«I can’t understand what is going on. I just want to know what the fuck his happening».

 

 

 

 

“Why are you ding this? Why did you trap me in this… here?”.

 

Seth snorted a mocking laugh, observing the motionless figure of his alter-ego, his descendant, with calculating eyes. If he had known what kind of person would have been generated by his blood, he would have refused any heirs after he became Pharaoh of Egypt.   
Not that he ever wanted an heir, or a wife, but Atem’s premature death and his last wish to make him be the new Pharaoh of his great dynasty hadn’t left the priest much choice.

 

“Answer me, you fucking bastard”.

 

He laughed again: _“You still have not figured out where we are? Where did your world-wide known genius go?”._

 

Annoyed, Seto ignored the provocation and tried to think clearly.   
It wasn’t easy. Even if the spirit revealed himself as the cause of his captivity, the terror gripping him showed no signs of disappearing, along with the frustration of being a book completely open and easy to read in his hands.   
Why on earth did Seth do such a thing?  
He wasn’t evil, the Millennium Rod wasn’t influenced by dark forces as Yugi never stopped saying.   
Unless…

 

_“No, the three men you killed are not in my Item. Their souls are damned to eternal torment, not imprisoned in a gold scepter. What makes you think I would let their dirty Ka infest it? The sacred Item I used to clean up my Pharaoh’s kingdom from monsters and assassins is not a mean to preserve those lurid spirits”._

 

Well, that took away a check from his list.   
But then were…  
…  
“You fucking piece of shit. You locked me in my own mind”, he realized, horror widening his eyes. “What have you done?!”.

 

The spirit smiled, absentmindedly rolling the Millennium Rod in his hand: _“I did what I had to do. You set foot in our peace, you took away from me the only reason why living in that infernal paradise was bearable. Why did you take Atem away from me? you had Yugi, why wasn’t him enough?”_.  
his smile turned into a grimace, a mixture of anger and pain, as Seth bent over the still form of his modern copy to look in scared blue eyes: _“Why did you have to take my god away?”._

 

 

 

 

The miasma wrapped around his legs, grabbed his ankles, forced him to the ground again and again, throwing him down every few steps taken.  
Worn-out footprints of his shoes disappeared one after another, leaving complete emptiness in the darkness following him, undaunted in its slow run.   
When he woke up in that darkness, Yugi immediately thought he was dead.  
“Finally”, he said to himself, with the same bitter taste in his mouth as the pills he had swallowed in the hope his heart would stop.   
But he wasn’t dead.  
his heart was still beating, a faint and inaudible thump, but still alive.   
His body was ruined, pale and emaciated, but still standing.   
Atem was with him, pulling him to his feet despite his own weakness, never leaving his side. He had not returned to his afterlife filled with sun and smiles, in the kingdom that would always praise him as a pharaoh, as a god walking on earth.

 

_Do not stop, Yugi._

 

Walking and stumbling, Yugi kept on advancing in that dry slime, escaping razor-sharp claws raising from the smoky shadow and dancing all around.   
Atem’s evanescent figure, flickering in the sinister dimness, guided him without fault, held out his hand when he fell and refused to get back on his feet.

 

_You cannot give up._

So it _was_ him, the voice Yugi heard speaking in his thoughts.   
Doubts, hopes, question that intruded the swirling jumble of pain and fear. It was Atem trying to reach him, unable to talk using their mind link.   
Ironic, how he succeeded in his task right after everything got lost.   
Yugi had _already_ given up.   
He had already swallowed his death, his skin was already deeply etched and scarred, his beautiful body already reduced to dust.

 

_Follow my light._

His light?  
Atem wasn’t shining. His ghostly body was barely discernible in that stifling darkness, visible only because the spirit himself was part of Yugi’s consciousness.   
However…  
There actually was a light.   
Distant, weak, a faint glimmer of pure gold, a star in the eternal black night of that nameless place.

 

_Reach it. Don’t fall now._

Yugi staggered, hiking upward and falling downwards, striding and moving step by step. Until the Puzzle hanging around his neck exploded in dazzling brightness, and Atem’s horrified voice boomed in his ears and vibrated in his soul.

 

 

 

 

 _“It was so easy to deceive you. Make you believe the growing hatred inside you was the result of those cruel and perverse souls you ripped off those criminals’ bodies. Make you think you were falling under the influence of a safe Item, and all because of you. All because of your undying doubts, your fears you are so afraid to show. Oh, your indecision had consumed you from the inside, deteriorated your willpower enough to allow me to break it”._  
Striding in large circles around Seto, like a vulture flying over his soon-to-be prey, Seth’s expression kept changing.   
A sneer immediately gave way to an agonizing grimace painted by memories, only to return to a cold indifference after a few seconds.   
The priest was filled with anger, resentment, guilt.   
_“I just needed the right time. The perfect opportunity to take control of your conscience, and enslave it at my mercy. You are too determined, too stubborn. I would have never been able to break through the walls you raised to protect you, otherwise”_.

 

Seto couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

 

_“Ah, the perfect opportunity came when they… what was the word? When they shot you. Oh, it has all been so easy because of that. With your soul already worn and corroded, and suffering enveloping your body and spirit… You did not even tried to resist. The only thing I had to do was take your hand, and erase your mind from yourself._

 

“What have you done to me?”.  
Seto’s silent voice trembled, not from weak vocal cords, but from an innate fear, a dismay so intense it fully shrouded his ability to reason.  
“What have you done?”.

 

 _“I killed you. Oh, not literally –_ he quickly assured – _but I took you away from the worlds. You are nothing but an empty shell out there, safe and sound in the body but absent in the spirit.  
You had to see him, our Yugi, so desperate, so diligently calling your name non-stop”_.   
Seth nodded at Seto’s horrified expression, kneeling beside his doppelganger, the sharp point of his Millennium Rod under menacingly glistening under his chin: _“Oh, yes. It was him, the voice that tormented you for so long with its sweet taste. The voice you thought so familiar, so welcoming. He called you to exhaustion, until…”._

 

“Until… what?! Answer me, you son of a bitch! What have you done to Yugi?!”.

 

 _“I tore him away from you!”_ , Seth thundered, his voice so powerful it shook the shadow’s foundations itself. _“I stole him from you, in the same way you stole Atem from me. You, a selfish and greedy man, you have barged into my heaven and took away the only light I still admired! Do you think I claimed a place in your spirit to check on your happiness? NO! I want Atem back, I want him back to my world where I can touch him, where I can love him as I can no longer do! And you, you and him… as long as you stay alive, I will not be able to hold him again!”._

 

 

 _“What…?”_.

 

 

Seth froze, Atem’s voice reverberating behind him, and swore under his breath.

 

 

Traumatized, as the confession made its way through constant rejection of those same words, Atem fell to his knees in the swirling mist.   
His body trembled, his eyes once burning like a dragon flame extinguished by streams of tears.   
_“It was you… IT IS YOU!”.  
_ Strangled by disappointment and anger, Atem slammed his fists on the ground, his forehead resting on solid and freezing shadows: _“YOU forced Yugi to kill himself! Why?! Why have you lied to us for all this time?!”._

 

 

Seth looked away from that miserable scene, from his Pharaoh kneeling in dark haze: _“I can’t stand it. I… why did you do that?! You left me, you left to follow him! He does not deserve you!”_.

 

 

 _“No, YOU do not deserve me”_ , was Atem’s harsh, dry reply. _“You could have talked to me, you could have told me your worries. Instead, you manipulated Seto like a puppet, and your desire for possession and power led you to take advantage of Yugi’s still weak spirit”_ , he added, getting back to his feet.   
Behind him, Yugi weakly moved in Seto’s direction, crawling through poisonous fog as he didn’t have any strength left in his legs.   
_“How could you do such a thing?”_.

 

 

_“I love you”._

_“I love you too!”_ , Atem replied, arms widened as frustration took over. _“Look at me, Seth. I said look at me!”_.   
Reluctantly, the priest turned his head and caught flaring crimson eyes: _“I loved you despite our traditions. I gave my body and soul to you without caring about the danger we were in. I trusted you, I left you my kingdom because I thought you were an honest person. I entrusted you with my heart because I thought you would never be able to break it”_.  
Atem clenched his fists again, ignoring the stinging pain as nails dug into his flesh, and helplessly watched as Yugi slumped beside Seto, his life force almost gone.   
Tears of annoyance slid down his cheeks as he turned his attention back to Seth: _“Fix this. Stop your madness before it is too late, or I swear on all the gods I know I will never forgive you, neither in this dimension nor in any other.  
I love you, I can I lie? But, at the cost of suffering until the end of time, I will not hesitate to throw you into the darkest and deepest meanders of my memory if you keep following the road you have taken”. _

 

 

 _“How can I believe you, Pharaoh? How, knowing you surrendered so sweetly to Seto’s desires?”_.

 

 

Furious, Atem approached Seth in two strides, and slapped him so hard he fell backwards, his robes flying in motionless air: _“Seto is exactly like you! You have the same spirit, the same determination, the same hidden sweetness that always makes me smile. How could I not fall in love with him, if he reminds me so much of you?!  
When you followed me, choosing him as your host, I thought I could finally be happy with both of you. I cannot believe I have been so foolish, hoping to love him and you without suffering”_.   
The Pharaoh shook his head and was about to speak again, when a sudden stabbing pain in his heart made him fell down, his breath being pulled out of his lungs so brutally he panicked and gasped for air.

 _“N-no… Yu-_ _gi_ _…!”  
_ An hand extended towards his host, his eyelids growing heavier, Atem lost consciousness, drowning in thin air.   
The last thing he saw, blurring as if he was looking through shattered glass, was Seth raising the Millennium Rod in his direction.

Then nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah.   
> Seth snapped.   
> Who saw that coming? Certainly not me, this story has taken an interesting twist in my planning for it.   
> What can I say, I love making people suffer (I swear, I'm not a psycho). 
> 
> A quick something before I thank you, I have to stop giving myself deadlines. For as much as I want this story to be updated in a somewhat constant way, I have a full schedule and can only sit down and write during one, maybe two full days.   
> I'll still be making sure there will be monthly updates to this story, but I don't really think I'd be able to write two chapters a month. Even if I try to shorten them down.   
> I know this story is not followed by a ton of people, given its very specific warnings and my not-so-perfect English above all, but I still want to make sure you enjoy it. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you so much for following this story and reading it, and as always, kudos and comments are always very much appreciated.
> 
> See you in the next one!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, if you notice mistakes here and there, I'm sorry. I don't have a beta reader to help me （╯°□°）╯

«Big brother, I have the data of the new Duel Disk. It’s a great success».  
Speaking from a hologram hovering in mid-air, Mokuba tried to get his brother’s attention to distract him from the madness that had locked him up in the space station day and night.   
After Diva’s defeat, Seto had begun spending all his working hours in that place out of everyone’s reach, away from the constant coming and going of people in his skyscraper and away from any kind of phone calls.   
The only numbers he didn’t block on his phone were Mokuba’s and, surprisingly enough, even Yugi’s stayed off the banlist for a while.   
Seto left the mansion at the crack of dawn, went up to his space station alone and returned home late at night, so exhausted one evening he didn’t even make out Mokuba’s figure standing on the stairs. The younger Kaiba tried to wait for his brother, but every time he got more and more ignored.   
He always repeated the same answer to every question, whoever his interlocutor was. “I need solitude”, he would say. “I can have it, there”.

 

At first, Mokuba tried not to worry too much, by that time used to his brother’s exhausting routine, and as long as he took care of eating and drinking more than enough to function he avoided shouting his doubts in Seto’s face.   
At least, until Seto stopped coming back home.   
The first few days Mokuba hadn’t paid much attention to it. Seto was stubborn, and moving him from his goals was almost impossible even for him. Therefore, Mokuba chose not to interfere.   
However, when days became weeks, Mokuba had decided to intervene by poking his nose into his brother’s research and experimentations. Finding plans for a dimensional capsule wasn’t the good news he was hoping to get.

 

 

Fiddling with the capsule’s controls, on which elaborated holograms projected calculations and three-dimensional models of his ideal travel trajectory, Seto nodded in acknowledgment: «Thank you for the update, Mokuba, but now I need to stay focused».   
The news his prototype was flying off the shelves should gave ignited his usual spark of pride, but Seto’s attention wasn’t directed towards the skillful marketing of the company.   
What he was about to do could have positive results, but also negative ones. Lethal, perhaps.   
Maybe that attempt would only prove to be an incredibly expensive way to get lost in an intricate web woven by the dimensions building the cosmos.   
Seto didn’t have a single hint about it.

 

 

Mokuba frowned: «Brother, are you really going? We didn’t even test that prototype», he said, eyeing the capsule in which Seto was sitting.   
Even the complex set of clothing he was wearing, completely interwoven with electronic components, cables and sensing devices, had never undergone the slightest hint of testing. Not to mention the Duel Diss Seto had already anchored to his forearm, a tech monster that alone had cost the CEO millions, if not more.   
Of course, Seto had explained to him what he intended to do, and how he was going to accomplish such a mission.  
The Quantum Cube, the elusive eighth Millennium Item used by Diva just some time before, was placed at his side, gray and dull, seemingly innocuous but holding immense power.   
A power Seto had not only been able to counter, but to ultimately combine with his own technology.   
The Cube was, in fact, the only source of energy on which the dimensional capsule would rely on to move in between dimensions.   
The more he thought about it, the more Mokuba became convinced that journey wouldn’t bring anything good.   
What if the Cube was to lose energy earlier than expected?  
Seto risked being trapped in who knows what place, unable to turn back. Even worse, the Cube could rebel against its holder and his technology, triggering a chain reaction and causing Seto to die.   
«It’s too dangerous», Mokuba said, his hands clenched on the control panel in front of him. Seto? Seto!».

 

 

Even knowing how much Mokuba was worried about him, Seto ignored his brother, continuing to tic away on the command keypad. He couldn’t chicken out, not when he was so close to… to him.   
Looking up at his brother, his little brother who had grown so much under his wing, he let a faint smile spread across his face: «I have to do it», he replied, almost forcing out those words. Words that came out in something that was just a little more than a whisper.   
«Mokuba, I leave the rest up to you».  
With one last look at his brother, perhaps really the last, Seto triggered the right mechanisms and the capsule closed over him, the dome sealing perfectly the cramped space.   
Inside, Seto had only a limited oxygen supply, and the space was so small the slightest malfunction could cause irreparable damage to both the structure and himself.   
In any case, if the intra-dimensional journey wasn’t going to be successful on the first attempt, Seto would not get another chance.

 

 

«Brother… make sure you come back».  
Mokuba forced himself to maintain a firm tone of voice, though not as much as he wanted.   
Seto ad gifted him the result of a lifetime’s efforts, showing himself weak wasn’t going to help him go headfirst in that mission.   
But, it wasn’t easy.

 

 

«Duel Dimension System, activate!».  
A simple order, and as soon as the floor opened beneath it, the capsule fell at full speed into the elevator tube, all control systems kept under strict surveillance by Seto as the device travelled down.   
And when the Cube exploded in a tremendous glow, a pure gold stain in the intense blue of Seto’s technologies, the dimensions began to fall apart, disintegrating and recomposing themselves ten, a hundred, a thousand times around the CEO.   
It was a marvelous show, like sparkling fireworks silhouetted against a black so intense as to seem an endless void, a journey through a terrifying black hole.  
Seto could _feel_ the Cube’s immense power on his skin as the Item merged with his own inventions, a sensation amplified by dozens of dimensional gashes vibrating all around the capsule.   
What Diva had made him experience was nothing, in comparison.

 

If Seto had been a tiny bit less determined in his intent, he would’ve begun to realize how strong fear and terror had come to suffocate him.   
Then, as quickly as it started, the journey ended.

 

 

\--

 

 

Shuddering, Yugi tightened the huge wool scarf wrapped around his neck and raised his eyes to the sky; huge white clouds spread a cold shadow over the city, and the air smelled of snow even though it was still October.  
Impatient, Yugi pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time: 5 pm. Joey was late, as usual.  
They should have met in their favorite park half an hour before, but the blond wasn’t around.

 

Get a move on, Joey. I’m freezing out here.

Written the text, Yugi put the phone back in his pocket and hid his hands, painfully getting numb from the cold.   
Joey really knew how to be frustrating when it came to it, but Yugi didn’t want to blame him that much. He was still busy moving, after all, and spend most of his days putting belongings and clothes in boxes over boxes.   
As soon as he turned eighteen, Joey had wasted no time before signing up for a tournament, winning the cash prize and buying a house as far away as possible from his father’s. It took a while and a whole lot of compromises, but in the end he had managed to get over all the negotiations.   
All he had left to do was unbox his new furniture and move the rest of his stuff. While still working two jobs in order to afford a living until he found a good sponsor for his dueling career.   
Yugi often tried to help him, but the last time Joey’s father threw an empty glass bottle at him, so the blond asked him not to come anymore.   
And Yugi, reluctantly despite the incident, had complied.

 

 

I’m coming, they cancelled my train.

 

 

Yugi snorted; if there was one thing he hated, it was just that.   
Domino’s train lines were quite efficient, but it wasn’t uncommon to encounter delays or canceled trains, and it was incredibly frustrating. Especially for those who needed trains to get to work.  
Namely, one of the reasons why Yugi tried to avoid public transportation as much as possible, and walked everywhere if he was able to.   
At most, he would take the subway and move around the city underground, when long distances kept him from reaching places on foot.   
Maybe one day he would eve commit to get his own license, after finding a fairly stable job. A motorcycle, perhaps. Yugi preferred them, over cars.   
Meanwhile, he was freezing his ass on the bench of an almost desert park.

 

Ten minutes later, finally, he heard Joey’s voice calling him from the other side of the open space where he had moved, a spot surrounded by trees, to try and shelter himself from the icy wind.  
Yugi wouldn’t be surprised upon seeing snowflakes coming down from the sky, at that point.   
«Joey, it was about damn time!», he exclaimed, waving an arm to greet him.

 

 

«Sorry I’m lat, Yugi. I actually arrived at the station on time, but…».  
Joey gave a shrug, and pointed behind him: «Shall we go get something warm? My treat, I made you wait a lot», he offered.   
There was no way they would chatter outside.

 

 

Yugi got up from the bench and shuddered again: «Gladly. Maybe a hot chocolate», he agreed, keeping pace with Joey as he started walking.   
A block later, he almost breathed a sigh of relief as they set foot in one of the coffee shops they hung out at the most, welcoming the wave of hot air that hit him as soon as the door closed behind them.   
It was a nice place, not very noisy and with a quiet and elegant common room.   
Yugi and Joey made a beeline for their favorite table, quite far from the others but positioned next to a large window facing the street.   
«So? How’s moving?», Yugi asked, taking off his coat and scarf to hang them on the back of his chair. «Do you still have a lot to do?»

 

 

Joey shook his head, mimicking Yugi: «No, a couple more boxes and I should be done. Once everything’s in place, I’ll have a quiet home for myself», he replied, grabbing the brochure in front of him to choose his hot drink. «And you? Did you manage to find a company willing to hire you?».

 

 

Before answering, Yugi quickly scanned the wide selection of hot beverage, sighing: «It’s harsh. Everyone seems convinced the King of Games should continue a career focused on Duel Monsters, or at least that’s what the last three interviewers told me», he replied. «Being a world-wide known champion of a game so many people use to make profit is not helping».   
In the end, his choice fell on a classic hot milk chocolate, and when a waiter came to their table to take their orders, Joey added  some pastries for both of them.

 

 

«You _could_ keep dueling», Joey suggested, putting his elbows on the table to prop his face up with one hand. «You’re still the best Duelist in the world, after all».

 

 

Yugi sighed again, shaking his head: «It’s… not that easy», he replied. His hand, as always when the conversation focused on Duels, raised to grab the Puzzle that no longer hung from his neck.   
He missed Atem every day more than the other, even if he managed to overcome the initial shock of his disappearance.   
After the Ceremonial Duel , Yugi felt drained, so alone he didn’t realize the company of his friends when they were together.   
The silence inside his head was too deep, too… normal.   
At times, he kept turning his head around to look for the Pharaoh’s piercing gaze, before remembering he was gone.   
He couldn’t even sleep anymore, suffocated by a solitude he didn’t know he was still able to feel.   
After a while, the sadness of being alone once again had been replaced by a bitter melancholy, and Yugi started facing reality with his head held high.   
The Pharaoh was no longer there, but his life was, ready to be dealt with. And so he had moved on, until Diva ruined everything.

 

Seeing Atem again, even for a moment, even if the Pharaoh returned to the afterlife before Yugi could speak to him, had caused him new anxieties.   
Sure, Yugi avoided falling back into the same state of disillusionment and despondency of the first time, but he found himself thinking more and more back to how much they’d seen and lived together, to all their initial differences and their personal growth.   
That’s why, the year before, Yugi decided to lock his Deck in the gold box that once contained the Puzzle and refused to take it out since.   
Not even to mull over memories.   
«Don’t get me wrong, I love dueling, but… it’s not the same. Maybe, one day I’ll take back my career head on and work in that world. Now… now I can’t», he added, after a while.

 

In that, the same waiter as before came back to bring them two hot chocolates and a tray of tiny pastries, so Yugi fell silent and thanked him with a half smile.   
The mug was pleasantly warm under his fingers still numb from the cold, and Yugi basked in the heat spreading through his hands.   
He could, in fact, have taken refuge in the coffee shop instead of waiting outside for Joey, and cursed himself for not thinking about it.

 

 

«I don’t think I can fully understand how you feel, Yugi. But if you need anything, you know I’m always here», Joey tried to comfort him, feeling guilty for ruining his mood.   
He should have imagined bringing up the issue with Yugi could prove to be a wrong move, especially while his friend still had failed to accept Atem’s disappearance.   
He tried to shake everything off, to tell everyone and himself passing over was the best thing for the Pharaoh, but Joey knew the truth wasn’t in front of him. Not completely.   
«I’m sorry, I got you in a bad mood», he apologized, dipping one of the pastries in his chocolate before eating it.

 

 

Yugi shrugged and curved his lips in a smile: «Don’t worry. It’s fine».  
Time passed by as Yugi and Joey chatted, and when their mugs were empty and cold, an entire hour had already passes without either of them noticing.   
«Do you want to come home? I’m sure grandpa would be happy to see you, it’s been a long time since you passed by», Yugi suggested once they stepped out of the coffee shop, face buried in his scarf.   
He was already regretting leaving the warm place.   
From time to time, the winter’s cold reminded him of how pleasant the sun’s heat in Egypt felt on his skin, bringing up the sensation of his feet buried in warm sand, the rumble of enormous golden room.   
Then, he remembered those memories didn’t belong to him, but to Atem.   
It was the spirit of the Pharaoh, not his own, that longed for the sun, for the brightness of gold and gems, for the weight of jewels, for light clothes swaying in the wind.  
Who knew if Atem was really happy in his afterlife, where he was a rightful king. Yugi often wondered, but never asked.   
He was afraid of getting a positive answer.

 

 

\--

 

 

Egypt was hot. Very hot. Too hot, for the clothes Seto was wearing, wrapping his body from head to toe and dotted everywhere with highly advanced technology devices.   
Even his brown locks hid fragments of those devices, all emanating a faint blue glow, almost invisible under the intense sunlight.   
The CEO’s boots, unsuitable for that kind of landscape, sank into blazing sand with every step and slowed his movements, but Seto didn’t seem to notice.   
His movements were rigid, almost robotic, as he advanced towards his destination.

 

The nameless city, that lost place in the history of Egypt no one remembered existed, stood on the horizon, bathed by the merciless rays of the only star so close and ardent as to be visible in the daytime sky.   
It was like being back in time, back to the Memory World, so that illusion of reality was perfect.   
If it hadn’t been for the continuous flickering disturbing Seto’s eyes, distorted reflection objects and silhouettes left behind if gazed upon for too long.   
Seto passed through the city without looking around, walking straight with his eyes fixated towards the palace. People turned and whispered behind his back, but it wasn’t his business.   
If those spirits felt frightened by his sudden appearance, so obscure and foreign, the slender figure of a man clad in way-too-modern clothes that crumbled at every step, their reaction didn’t matter to Seto.   
Let them speak, in their now lost language. Seto wasn’t going to stay in that place for long.

 

A particularly brave boy was standing in his way, staring at him with curiosity rather than fear. Seto passed him without giving the kid another look, focused on his goal.   
He didn’t even feel his heart clench when he realized that was the spirit of someone who had died while still being a child.

 

The palace stood proud and imposing in front of Seto, its huge doors wide open as if awaiting his arrival. The immense obelisks on either side of the entrance told stories and names, encased in carved cartouches, and the gold pyramidion on their summit glimmered in the sun more reflective than a mirror.  
Seto wasn’t impressed by such magnificence. Something inside him stirred, requiring his eyes and mind to admire that splendid architectural monster (an exact copy of the Pharaoh’s real palace still hidden in Egypt), but his determination to find Atem was stronger than anything else.   
The Pharaoh was behind those doors, Seto had no doubts about it. sitting on his throne, in perpetual wait like the god he’d become, surrounded by his old friends.

 

Barely registering threatening warnings shot at him by the guards, Seto entered the throne room and stopped there, unperturbed.   
The room was huge, every single wall gleamed with cold and was painted in bright colors, as well as being littered with hieroglyphics. On the sides and at the far end, colorful columns supported the impressive ceiling and a couple of balconies overlooking the room, on which other guards marched back and forth.   
However, Seto’s gaze was fixed on a single point at the end of the room, on the raised platform where the golden Pharaoh’s throne stood.   
And sitting on that same throne, wrapped in soft sunlight coming from the great openings in the wall, the Pharaoh himself.   
Atem.   
His rival.  
The only one, along with Yugi, who had managed to drive him crazy, both during and outside their Duels.

 

Seto didn’t speak, approaching the throne. He made no sound, except the faint rustling of his flowing coat and the clicking of his boots’ heels on a smooth slab floor.   
Instead, he stretched out his arm and let his Duel Disk talk, a wonder of technology built with only one last Duel in mind.   
And when Atem rose from his throne, as bright as the gold he wore, Seto could do nothing but return his smile.

 

 

\--

 

 

«Very well, Mr. Muto. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?».

 

 

Yugi shook his head, restlessly fidgeting with the Eye of Horus hanging from his bracelet: «I’m here for this», he replied, trying to keep his voice calm and measured.   
It wasn’t the first job interview he underwent, and the company he’d decided to turn to was still small compared to some others he tried to apply to, but nervousness refused to let him go.   
Especially thinking back at the repeated failures caused more by is dueling career than by incompetence.   
Every single company had refused his job application for just one reason: no one wanted Yugi Muto, the King of Games who contributed so much to keep the Duel Monsters market and other games related going, to leave his active career as a Duelist.

 

 

The interviewer scrutinized Yugi for a while, analyzing his behavior, then cleared his throat and asked the first, obvious question: «Why do you want to work here?».

 

 

Yugi didn’t miss the implicit “Why do you want to leave where you are?” all interviewers had hid between the lines so far.   
With a sigh, he mentally reviewed all possible scenarios he’s imagined before buckling up for that interview. “See is as a Duel”, he said to himself, buttoning up his elegant black shirt in front of the mirror.   
«The main reason is my passion for all kinds of videogames, this is not to be underestimated», he began, grabbing one hand with the other to keep himself from fiddling with that damn pendant.   
«But the reason why I chose this company in particular is the growth I can see in your games. I’ve played all your titles, and not only have I been immensely satisfied, but it’s easy to see great resources and qualities still to be expanded», he said, playing all his cards not only on the company itself, but also on praising it.   
It was the truth, after all.

 

A brief paused, then he sighed again: «The reasons why I would like to put aside my dueling career are still somewhat unclear, and very complicated to explain here, but I have no complaints about the Duel Monsters. Indeed, it’s an honor to be involved in that world, especially like I am involved, but I decided to quit for a while. It’s definitely not easy to take a step back when you’re on the top, but I want to stp away from the spotlight. Not permanently, this is obvious».

 

 

«So you are planning to go back and re-take your Duelist career in the near future».

 

 

In spite of himself, Yugi nodded. He really wanted to be able to find his courage to hook a Duel Disk on his arms, insert the Deck inside and return in glorious light alongside his beloved monsters. But it wasn’t the right time.   
«Yes… well, not that near. It won’t be a possibility to be considered for at least a few years. Of course, I’m not going to disappear completely, I still enjoy everything Duel Monsters related, but for now… dueling if off limit», he, in fact, replied, carefully weighing his words.   
That company didn’t rely too much on Duel Monsters for its videogames, but two of its most important and well-known games released less than a year earlier actually took into account Yugi’s own monsters.   
Better to leave some hope, even if weak.

 

 

The interviewer stared at him for a moment, pondering, then moved on to the next question: «What games are you playing? Is there a kind of game you find the most enjoyable?».

 

 

Yugi thought about it for a second: «I would say… videogames based on an open world system or both questions. I don’t have a favorite genre though, rather, I prefer variety so I can have different experiences. . It’s safe to say I enjoyed your games for this very reason. You’ve been able to develop wonderful adventures using large maps, and even now I keep playing over and over many of those games because it’s a really exciting type of gameplay», he decided to say.   
Despite his love for all kind of games, Yugi spent most of his free time on open world ones, because they allowed him to explore and discover for hours without boring him.   
«I also played a lot of classic games», he added, playing another trick up his sleeve. For what he knew, gaming company liked that kind of information. «From old titles on consoles and arcades to newer ones, I enjoyed thoroughly what I played. Plus, old-school games always help giving new perspectives».  
Yugi knew he’d landed a good blow when the interviewer raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed.

 

 

«How would you make the games you’re playing better?».

 

 

Yugi frowned, confused: «Make a game better?».

 

 

«I’ll explain myself better. Of the videogames you’re playing at the moment, including ours, what would you change to improve its gameplay?».

 

 

«Oh, well…», Yugi shifted in his chair, anxious again. No one had ever asked him that question before. Maybe it was a good sign.   
«I would say a good starting point is to make the interface as unobtrusive as possible», he said. «In most videogames I’ve played, on many occasions interface and game menu were anything but immersive, and they tend to make the experience less realistic. Especially with RPGs, which should fully rely on roleplay and immersion».  
Not knowing what to add, Yugi went quite for a moment and thought about what he himself would like, judging from experience.  
«Even the game engine itself can be improved, maybe implementing a better rendering system for long distances. Based on my experience, in open world games rendering can often prove itself an immersion problem, because items and scenery tend to spring out of nowhere. It wouldn’t hurt to develop a game engine good enough that can actually withstand shorter and faster loading times», he added after a while, giving voice to one of the problems that frustrated him the most.   
It was really disappointing, to dive headfirst into a horror or fantasy scenario, just to find yourself with blocks of landscape that didn’t load properly. And Yugi had built a computer far more than worthy of that name.   
So, he decided to take all his courage and use it to comment on a title develop by that very company. “Either you hit it, or you miss it”, he thought.   
«I can also bring in the conversation one of your games, specifically the last chapter of your series built around Duel Monsters, by saying it could benefit from some modifications. For example, the controls are not very intuitive, and make the gameplay more daunting than pleasant. A solution would be to eliminate some interactions or integrate them in a single command. Some recurred only a couple of times in the game, after all. Also, retouching the base controls could definitely make the player more comfortable.   
Speaking for myself, some commands were physically uncomfortable to perform, especially using a keyboard instead of a controller», he explained, drawing his last ace card.   
If the interviewer was satisfied by that, You could have a chance.

 

 

«What’s the best game of all time and why?».

 

 

Yugi didn’t expect a new question so quickly. What he was expecting was some kind of response to his criticisms, and was surprised when it didn’t arrive.   
So he found himself thinking, again.   
he’d played many titles, both large and almost unknown, including a wide variety of Indie Horror Games and the like, or even games coming from games jams. It was quite the challenge, choosing one to crown as the best.   
He didn’t want to blatantly announce one of the company’s videogames, because it would have been a  terrible move, but he also wasn’t going to bring up one of the newest games out there just because they were on everyone’s lips.   
Finally, after weighing his long list of options, Yugi decided what card to flip face-up on the Field: «The Virtual World developed by KaibaCorp. for Kaiba Land».

 

 

«That’s a project that was never released to the general public», the interviewer replied, frowning.

 

 

«I know – Yugi nodded – but having tried it, and having played many other games, it’s the only one I feel calling the best. Seto Kaiba’s Virtual World was a vast and engaging virtual open world adventure, with intuitive controls and masterfully focused on Duel Monsters and its mechanisms.   
In the Virtual World it was possible to talk to all the characters, interact with any single part and items of the game map, and the whole story was more than fascinating.   
Although it has never been released to the public, and for good reasons, it’s undoubtedly my choice to answer your question», he put in plain words, trying to be as less revealing as possible.

 

 

«Can you tell me those reasons?».

 

 

Yugi didn’t need to think before shaking his head: «No. These are confidential information, only to be known by the Kaiba brothers themselves and a few trusted employees at KaibaCorp., I’m sure. I’m not one to decide whether or not to disclose them, whoever’s asking».

 

 

The interviewer nodded, satisfied: «What will you bring to the team? Why do we need you?».

 

 

Now that question Yugi was expecting. He’d never been able to carry an interview long enough to receive it, but he knew it was around the corner, ready to ambush him.   
Luckily, Yugi had largely informed himself about the company before applying for the job.   
«I know your company tends to operate in small groups, and you have few independent employees. What I can bring to the team is ability to coordinate and considerable skills in terms of programming and designing, adding to what you’ve already demonstrated with your games. My goal is to focus my work on the experience I already have, and to develop it as a result of the whole group. I don’t aim for the impossible, but aim for the best is my main goal», he answered, placing on the Field everything he had learned about both the company and himself.

 

 

«And tell me, if I hired you, what would I regret about it in six months?».

 

 

«Honestly – Yugi replied without flinching – I am a flexible and dedicated person. However, I tend to be less patient with those who try to impose themselves over my ideas. Going straight to the point, I’m a paerson who would like to see his opinion respected, and I can’t stand those who tend to belittle them».  
Only the gods knew how many times he wanted to slap Kaiba in the face just for that reason.   
If he hadn’t been overwhelmed by Atem’s imminent passing and by his own surprise upon hearing him say so, when Kaiba had truly recognized him as King of Games during the Ceremonial Duel, Yugi would have gladly wept tears of gratitude.   
Following, he also appreciated the newfound respect Kaiba had had towards him the year before, during his exploits against Diva.   
«Beyond this, what do you think I'd regret in six months if I worked here?».

 

 

At that reply, the interviewer was stunned. In all honesty, he didn’t expect to receive such a counter-move from such a young man. But then again, a whole dueling career spent exchanging taunts and remarks with no less than Seto Kaiba must have left its mark.   
Finally, he moved on to the last question: «Where do you want to be in five years?».

 

 

Yugi had to ponder his answer even more carefully this time.   
Where’d he want to be?  
He had no idea. He didn’t know if he would stay there, working in that company, or would ultimately take a decision and resume his full-time dueling career.   
In the end, he decided to be honest: «I want to still be looking for new challenges. This is the most sincere answer I can give, right off the bat. I don’t know if I’ll still be working here, or if I’ll head back to my Duels. What I do know, is I don’t want to stop testing my skills, no matter how or where».

 

 

«What do you do on your own time to extend your skills?».

 

 

«I try to work a lot on projects developed by me», Yugi immediately replied, already knowing where the interviewer wanted to go. «I also write down ideas for various designs of characters and scenarios, and I often create puzzled of all kinds. When I can, I also try to learn new tricks and methods for prototyping various kind of videogames».  
When he wasn’t in the shop, his grandfather could easily find Yugi locked in him room, sitting at his desk as he tried to memorize and understand this or that new piece of information useful for programming and such.   
It had become much easier to focus on that kind of work, with no homework or Duels to keep track of.

 

 

«Do you have any questions?».

 

 

Yes, Yugi had many questions, and asked them all one after another. He wanted to understand as much as possible that world in which he wanted to enter. A small company also had its rules, its results to be achieved in order to succeed.   
He was genuinely interested in the answers he received, and stopped his questions almost forty minutes later.   
Yugi had no intention of throwing himself in a company and finding himself among people who considered him just the last piece in the box.   
If he wanted to get the job, and he really wanted to, better put together every bit of knowledge he could before starting.

 

 

Satisfied with the outcome of the interview, one of the best of that year, the interviewer stood up and held out his hand to Yugi, who immediately shook it: «Welcome to our company, Mr. Muto. You’ll be an excellent addition to the team».

 

 

Yugi smiled, bowing his head: «It’s an honor to work with you».

 

 

\--

 

 

«What is the meaning of this intrusion? What is a mortal like you doing in this sacred place?».

 

 

Seto’s expression hardened as he heard the voice behind him. Low and deep almost like his own, but with that extra note that made it sharper.   
«Seth».  
When he turned around, the figure of the Pharaoh’s priest was silhouetted against the dazzling sunlight coming from wide-open portals, surrounded by it almost like it was painted. He wore the same clother Seto had seen on him in Memory World, a long white and blue tunic adorned with heavy gold ornaments and a headwear on long brown hair. He was also wielding the Millennium Rod in his right hand.   
The same Item aimed at him as threatening sign.   
«I guess I should have expected this», Seto commented, unimpressed by Seth’s attitude. How could he be, knowing he had a (almost) mirror-like image in front of him?  
«So, you’ve decided to step in for him, at last? It’s a little late, considering you’re both in the afterlife», he laughed at the man.

 

 

«Kaiba…».  
Worry clearly audible in his voice, Atem started climbing down the steps leading to is throne, but Seth’s raised hand in his direction asked him to stop.

 

 

«My Pharaoh, let me take care of this», Seth insisted, not taking his eyes off that bizarre copy coming from another time.   
No one could set foot in the Pharaoh’s palace and hope to get away with it, not until his priest was there to protect him. He would never allow that… that ill-conceived reflection to approach Atem.   
That man wasn’t going to take the Pharaoh away, not when he’d finally managed to reunite with him.

 

 

Atem darted his eyes from his priest to Seto, who had every intention of accepting Seth’s challenge. They really were similar, so much not only in appearance, but also in behavior.   
Honestly, the Pharaoh was afraid to see them face each other.   
Even if the man insisted on denying it, although with less disbelieving than months before, Seto had a great power on his side. He’d been able to summon no less than Obelisk the Tormentor during his Duel against Diva, and not the card, but the god itself, recalling him from the most unreachable depths of time and space.   
Seth was powerful, but even Atem didn’t know if he would be able to stand up to that young, stubborn and brilliant-minded man.   
Even in his current conditions, disintegrating fragment after fragment and held together only by those glowy devices dotting and lining his body, Seto was dominating his opponent, head held high despite his situation.

 

«Alright», he finally agreed, turning his back to them to go sit on his throne. His fingers curled around the golden armrests out of apprehension, but when he spoke his voice was firm: «I will give you one duel against him. Only one», he added, his eyes quickly shifting towards Mahad, who had just entered the throne room through a side entrance.   
Unlike the other members of his court and himself, Mahad was no longer in possession of his Millennium Item, so the Rings wasn’t hanging from his neck to shimmer in sunlight.   
«Get ready to intervene», he ordered him, a whisper barely audible to Mahad himself. «I am not going to see this place crumble to pieces».  
After all, if anyone besides himself could stop Seto’s devastating energy and Seth’s intense ka, it was Mahad. The original Dark Magician.   
Of course, Atem was ready to jump into action as well.

 

 

«Very well», Seth knelt before the Pharaoh, the Millennium Rod raised to his heart as a sign of respect.   
Then, he turned back to Seto, motionless for the duration of that exchange: «I hope you are ready to fight. I am not an opponent to be underestimated», he said, triggering his DiaDHank.   
The Eye of Wdjat on the gold vambrace of the artifact lit up, signaling Seth’s unwavering ba. The priest subsequently raised an eyebrow in Seto’s direction.

 

 

In response, Seto grinned: «You’re not an opponent to be underestimated, uh? We’ll se, priest», he replied, activating his Duel Disk.   
The device came to life with a blinding flash of blue energy, amplified by the weird instability of that plane of existence. At the same time, the entire network of cables and devices covering his clothes lit up as well.   
At that sight, many of the guards in the throne room retreated with their weapons raised, frightened. Out of the corner of his eye, Seto proudly saw Mahad stiffen, ready to spring into action.   
Perfect, if the most powerful magician ever existed was alarmed by the situation, so much the better.   
«I won’t hold back, Seth. Show me your worst!», he exclaimed. «DUEL!».

 

 

\--

 

 

«They hired you? Damn, it’s amazing!».

 

 

More cheerful than Yugi himself was feeling, Joey’s voice almost deafened him by blaring from the other side of the phone.   
The blond was still busy furnishing and fixing the mess of the new house, so he hadn’t been able to hang out at the Kame Game, but despite his commitments no one had dissuaded him from calling Yugi and keeping him talking for hours at a time.   
During that particular conversation, Yugi had also told him the last good news. Dear heavens.   
«Yup. Finally someone able to see beyond the King of Games», Yugi said, jamming his phone between head and shoulder as he placed a stack of board games on the shelves.   
It was Sunay, and since he had nothing better to do after tinkering with the programs on his computer all day, he demanded his grandpa to go for a walk and started tidying u and restocking the shop in his place.

 

 

«How’s the company?».

 

 

Yugi smiled upon hearing hints of concern in Joey’s voice: «It doesn’t look bad. I mean, it’s still growing, but it’s keeping up with the competition», he replied, moving behind the counter and activating the speaker before putting the phone down: «My colleagues doesn’t seen that terrible either, but to know myself I’ll have to start working».  
With a snort, he retrieved one of the many card binders neatly organized on a couple of shelves behind the counter and began flipping through the pages, checking which and how many cards had to be restocked and/or sorted.   
Lately, more often than not Yugi had wondered if it would be a good idea to affiliate the shop in some way with Industrial Illusions, but there were two main reasons preventing him from picking up the phone and calling Pegasus.  
First, the whole issue of Duelist Kingdom had left a bitter taste in Yugi’s mouth, even though the rich entrepreneur had pledged to be forgiven for not only stealing three different souls, but also for having formed an alliance with the Big Five in order to take control of KaibaCorp.   
Second, the Kame Game could be Yugi’s, the famous King of Games became so after defeating the creator of the game at his own game, grandfather’s shop, but in the end it was nothing but a hidden dot among Domino’s skyscrapers.   
Who knew, maybe in the future that tiny game shop would gain more opportunities to assert itself among stronger competitors, but at that moment…

 

 

«Yugi? Hey, Yugi?! Are you still there?».

 

 

Startled out of his meditation, Yugi remembered he was still on the phone with Joey and shook his head, as if to free his brain from all those thoughts: «Yeah, I’m here. Sorry», he apologized, closing the binder after having mechanically written down all the missing cards.   
Some were expensive, Yugi would have to talk to his grandfather about restocking them. the downside of having such a small shop, even if rather frequented, was paying for rare and pricey cards.   
Most of the time they kept at least one or two copies on display instead of selling them, something Yugi had tried (in vain) to convince his grandfather to stop.   
But Solomon was adamant, if he wanted to keep rare finds on display there was no way to convince him otherwise. Not even with Yugi’s approval.   
«How are you doing?», he asked Joey, putting the binder back and aiming for a second one.

 

 

«A couple more days and I should be finished moving. You’re already invited as soon as all this mess is over!».

 

 

Yugi let out a half-laugh at Joey’s enthusiasm. He’d not seen (or heard) his friend so happy since Mai had agreed to date him, when he finally gathered the courage to ask her.   
It was still strange to Yugi, seeing him having found a normal life, after all they’d lived together. After adventures and misadventures, after meeting Rebecca, Valon, Rafael… after getting to know the Pharaoh.   
Without realizing it at first, Yugi started crying, leaning forward with his elbows on the counter. Atem had helped him so much, had given him so many friends, so many experiences and memories… how could he have decided to leave him behind?

 

«Fuck», he cursed, a whisper he hoped didn’t reach Joey’s ears. He couldn’t have a breakdown. Not again.   
Not after spending hours, days working hard to get a new life.

 

 

«Yugi…? What happened?».

 

 

«Nothing, I… I dropped something», he weakly lied, wiping tears away from his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.   
He knew the excuse wouldn’t hold, his voice wasn’t as steady as he wanted. Instead, it came out faint, trembling.  
And indeed, Joey noticed.

 

 

«Yugi, are you…».

 

 

«I miss him», Yugi interrupted him, speaking between clenched teeth as he was trying so hard not to sart sobbing. He’d struggled on after the Pharaoh’s disappearance, telling himself over and over that was the best thing for him, Atem had the right to finally have peace after three thousand years of darkness and loneliness.   
But when his memories made him sink straight to the bottom, even knowing how right it was to let him go, there was no way to stop the pain from coming.   
«I miss Atem… Joey, why am I going on without him?», he asked, so frustrated he slammed his fist on the counter.   
Every single miniature placed on it shook the hit landed, and one fell over.   
It was exasperating, trying to leave the past behind but remaining with all his shadowy memories wrapped around his mind and soul.   
The line stayed silent for a while, Yugi knew Joey was waiting for him to calm down enough to listen.   
Two years had passed since Atem’s passing, but Yugi was still unable to leave behind just enough the bond he’d shared with the Pharaoh.   
His sudden return as they fought Diva, the year before, hadn’t helped.

 

 

«Don’t feel guilty, Yugi. It’s normal to feel that way, you were closer to him than anyone else».

 

 

Yugi shook his head at Joey’s words, regardless of the fact his friend couldn’t see him: «If I hadn’t declared that last attack… If I hadn’t used Gold Sarcophagus and allowed him to Summon Slifer and win…», he whispered, his voice trembling and hitching.   
He remembered how painful tears burned in his eyes as if it was yesterday, the day Silent Magician made Atem’s life point crash to zero.

 

 

«You did what you had to, man. Atem would never have wanted to see you forfeit the Duel».

 

 

He knew that. Of course he knew that.  
What he didn’t know, at the time, what he couldn’t imagine, was the sense of complete panic and bewilderment that had assailed him the same evening after the Ceremonial Duel.   
Suddenly alone in his own mind, Yugi had spent the entire time locked in his cabin, refusing to talk with anyone and holding near his Deck with shaky hands.   
Holding the card that had put an end to everything, that damned Gold Sarcophagus, wishing he could find the strength to tear it and throw away all its pieces.   
He’d only talked with Kaiba, that night, not knowing exactly why he’d accepted to let him in.

 

Trying to recompose himself, Yugi closed the binder he was checking with a sharp thud and took a long breath, rubbing his temples: «I’m sorry, Joey. I don’t know what came over me», he apologized. «The last thing I wanted was to ruin your mood».

 

 

«Don’t worry, Yugi. You don’t have to apologize because you miss Atem, it’s understandable. Besides, are you sure you’re okay? I can come by, if you need to».

 

 

Again, Yugi shook his head before remembering he was talking to Joey on the phone: «No, there’s no need to», he replies.   
Then, he sighed, moving away from the counter to a different shelf in order to sort out a stack of old-fashioned videogames: «I’m a fucking mess, aren’t I?».

 

 

«No, you’re not. Yugi, you were sixteen when Atem left. We were all kids caught up in something bigger than us. It’s impossible to escape unscathed from such a farewell, especially for you. You were the one that really knew the Pharaoh, not us. You had his soul within your own, you constantly talked with him, lived with him. Don’t feel at fault when you miss him, and don’t stop living your own life. Atem would like you to go ahead, you know. He told you».

 

 

Yugi smiled bitterly: «Atem would also have wanted me to keep dueling. And instead, look at me. I can’t even pick up a card without having a fucking breakdown».   
Quieting to look at some game covers for a moment before sorting them by type and putting them on the shelf in alphabetical order, Yugi could _hear_ the gears in Joey’s brain turning in search of a solution.   
«Listen, I didn’t want this conversation to take this turn. Rather, if you need a hand to arrange something else in your house, I’m free on the weekend. I start working tomorrow, so I won’t be on call during the week».

 

 

\--

 

 

 

«Your wretched Duos can do nothing, just give up!».  
Seto’s taunt resounded in the throne room, amplified more by the atmosphere of that dimension than by the fact the place emptied really quickly.   
All guards, terrified by the Duel taking place before their eyes, had taken Mahad’s request to leave. Beside the Pharaoh, only his Sacred Guardians, the ancient protector of the Millennium Items, still stood to protect their ruler.   
Seto hadn’t taken his eyes off Seth since the beginning of that fight, a furious battle of spirits and Duel Monsters so real and vivid they had their materiality.   
And although Seth’s most powerful blow, slashed by his ka’s double swords, had brought him to his knees, Seto was smiling.   
He smiled with the same intensity he showed against Atem and Yugi, thrilled by the Duel. The same smile he never wiped off his face, back when he still believed the Pharaoh was just Yugi’s hidden persona and all Ancient Egypt absurdities were nothing but crazy ramblings of naïve people.

 

Already back on his feet, the light of the Duel Disk hooked on his arm as intense as the breath of his beloved dragons, Seto shot his millennia-old counterpart a look full of expectation, of victory, of mockery.   
A mix that brought confusion to his opponent’s blue eyes.  
«You can’t win against me. I won’t let you win», he said, stretching his slender fingers towards the next card.   
They weren’t playing according to Duel Monsters’ rules, according to the unending list of do and don’ts Pegasus had written down and everyone was required to respect.   
No, that was a Shadow Game, the oldest one, a game in which at stake there was a Duelist’s life force. The more the fighter was determined, the more powerful their monster was.   
Likewise, summoning a spirit or a monster too powerful for its holder, could cost the summoner his life.   
And Seto had yet to play his trump card.

 

 

«I already forced you on your knees once. I will not hesitate on doing it a second time, a third, and a fourth. I will make you fall until you beg for mercy, and then the Pharaoh will decide whether to let you go or not», Seth taunted.   
Unlike Seto, visibly tired and at the mercy of pain, the priest hadn’t moved a millimeter. Even his ba was totally intact, still glowing gold on the DiaDhank.  
Since the beginning of the Duel, Seto hadn’t managed to tarnish his defense, and Duos tore up all his monsters one after another.   
There was clearly no reason to continue, but shoving that arrogant in the dust was nothing but pleasure, for Seth.

 

 

In response, Seto’s smile widened.   
He smiled, and then laughed, laughed until the sick sound of his laughter echoed across the room, bouncing off walls covered in gold hieroglyphics and vibrant colors. He laughed until he lost his breath, doubled over by the effort of standing upright.   
His technology wasn’t powerful enough, Seto felt his body crumble away piece by piece, but he wasn’t going to give up.   
He couldn’t, he didn’t want to.   
«I won’t give up, now or in a thousand lost battles», he shouted at him, once suppressed that insane laugh. «I won’t make the same mistake _you_ made!».  
With that accusation, Seto straightened his back and drew his next card, his next hope.   
A hope shining with blue and white energy, the force of his presence so strong as to make Mahad step back.   
«Admire, the power you didn’t believe other could harness! Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!».   
If Seto felt the horrible pain that ran through his body like lightning, he gritted his teeth an didn’t show it, while his faithful dragon materialized between gold shimmer and sunlight in a burst of radiance.   
Blue-Eyes’ glow was so intense it forced all those present to shield their eyes, its roar so mighty and powerful it shook the building foundations.

 

 

Outraged, Seth’s eyes widened at the sight of that monster, of the ka that for years after Kisara’s death had been his and his only.   
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon scrutinized him from above, floating on the Field thanks to a pair of wings so large and majestic they were capable of obstructing sunlight.   
«How dare you…? HOW DARE YOU USE THE KA I HAVE PROTECTED FOR SO LONG AGAINST ME?!».  
Furious, Seth raised the Millennium Rod towards Seto, and would have shredded away his soul at that very moment if Atem wasn’t witnessing the Duel: «How dare you hold the spirit that has been my faithful companion for centuries?!».

 

 

«How dare I?».  
Darkened, Seto’s voice sank down to be a baritone growl, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon flying behind his back like a halo of pure light: «I didn’t gain Blue-Eyes’ trust without wearing myself out. No one _gave me_ that marvelous beast, I _won_ the right to command her with my blood and my sweat», he spat out.   
He hadn’t spent years of his life, robbed of a normal childhood, enduring his stepfather torturing him, fighting against all those who wanted him dead, just to topple over at the words of some spirit who had passed away thousands of years before.

 

 

«She doesn’t belong to you!».

 

 

«She doesn’t belong to anyone!», was the immediate reply. «But after all I’ve done to get Blue-Eyes on my side, unlike you _I_ can consider this dragon my ally».  
Having said that, Seto raised an arm towards Duos, ignoring how much the limb trembled from the effort of staying stretched in that position, and a gust of resoluteness flashed through his eyes: «Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Duos! Burst Stream of Destruction!!!».

 

 

For a moment, Seth hoped the dragon would not listen to Seto’s orders. For one long, hopeful moment, in which the Blue-Eyes White Dragon didn’t move from his place, floating weightless in mid-air.  
After all the help he had given her, after the friendship they’ve lived, Kisara would never betray him like that… right?

 

When Blue-Eyes spread her wings and jaws, ready to attack, Seth found himself silently praying the dragon would turn against his modern copy, that he wouldn’t listen to his owner by to who had freed her from the darkness.   
In vain.  
The dragon’s razor-sharp fangs sparkled with light, reflecting as polished mirror the burst of pure energy enclosed in her jaws instead of scorching flames.   
A few seconds later, that same white bolt of lightning shot down Duos with devastating fury, obliterating Seth’s ka like sand blown away by the wind.   
Shoved away by the shock wave generated from the assault, Seth flew backwards and slammed his back on the stone floor, slipping away another couple of feet before stopping.

 

Devastated, Seth found himself staring in disbelief at the throne room’s ceiling, perfectly still and oblivious to the stinging pain he felt throughout his body.   
On the DiaDhank his life force was halved, devoured by the relentless force of a creature that had terrorized hundreds, thousands of people in the past.   
A creature he could call a friend, back then.   
A creature that had turned against the one who saved her.  
«Why…?».

 

 

«You abandoned him», Seto spoke, taking a step forward. «You allowed death to take away the one and only person you swore to protect. The pharaoh you swore to serve and admire until the end».  
Another step forward, and then one more. Long strides led him to dominate the priest lying on the ground, his long hair scattered in wild locks on his face and around his head.   
There, Seto lowered his voice so only he could hear it, a deep frown deforming his face in anger: «You let the person you loved die, Seth. You never deserved the title Atem gifted to you. You never deserved the love he gave you», he told him.  
He, Seto Kaiba, speaking of love to his ancestor. Life really knew how to become bizarre, didn’t it?

 

 

Seth didn’t reply right away.  
He’d read Seto’s intentions, distinguished them between the lines as he found out the real reason he came to the afterlife. And that thought made him laugh.  
The same foolish and delirious laugh Seto threw at his face only a few minutes before.   
When that unreasonable sound finally stopped, and Seth got back to his feet, the look Seto received was full of compassion and mockery: «At least I had the courage to confess. Can you say the same?».

 

 

«…what?».

 

 

Taking advantage of Seto’s sudden confusion, the priest once again gleaned his energy, that vital force still perfect despite him being a spirit in the land of the dead.   
«I will not let you win, I already said that. You may be right, long ago I saw no other choice and I gave up. But now… now _I will show you my true soul!_ ».

 

 

\--

 

 

«Uhm… hey, Yugi?».

 

 

Looking up from the computer screen, Yugi caught the look of her colleague and raised an eyebrow: «Yes? You need something?».

 

 

She shook her head: «No, I just wanted to know if you’re free this Saturday. Our team decided to organize a dinner to celebrate the success of the last videogame. It would be nice to… well, to see you participate as well».

 

 

«Oh…».  
Yugi thought about it; not that he wanted to avoid his colleagues, but… the last time he tried to participate, just two weeks after he was hired, all they did was flooding him with questions about his career and his decision to quit it for a while.   
Needless to say, it hadn’t been a pleasant evening, and Yugi had vanished as soon as he was able to, with the excuse of having been called by his grandfather.  
In the end, he shook his head and put together somewhat of a solid justification: «I don’t think I’ll be free. A friend of mine returns from the United States this weekend, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to hang out».   
Even though neither Tea or Rebecca planned a trip to Japan until the end of the year.

 

 

«Okay, next time then».

 

 

Yugi managed to squeeze out an apologizing smile: «I’ll try to be there next time, promise».   
When his colleague closed the office door behind her, a room deserted except from Yugi who had requested to work overtime to finish a couple designs and concept arts, the man leaned in the back of his swivel chair and sighed, his fingers raised to pinch the bridge of his nose.   
Almost two months had passed since his arrival in the company, and although Yugi had already managed to settle in, it was still difficult to convince his colleagues to put aside Duel Monsters unless it was for a videogame.   
With another sigh, this time of relief, Yugi realized only a handful of days was left before Christmas, and the office he worked in would close until the new year.   
As much as he liked his new job, Yugi couldn’t wait to leave those nosy people to their things.

 

 

\--

 

 

«Did you manage to retrieve my brother’s data?».  
Bursting into the room with less vehemence than usual, Mokuba reached the computer stations and shot a piercing glance at the department director, the only KC sector that knew about Seto’s top-secret project.   
Or at least, he tried to give him a piercing look, but all his tired eyes could do was to narrow rather than frown.   
Mokuba hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep for weeks, too anxious about his brother’s well being.

 

 

The responder shook his head, nodding towards all the employees in the room, every one of them busy ticking furiously on various keyboards of computers and keypads.   
The entire office, completely screened and protected from any external interference and signal apart from authorized ones, resounded with the technological sounding tapping of dozens of key pressed simultaneously, together with a cacophony of notifications and alarms.   
Other than that, nobody spoke, apart from some sporadic communication addressed to the director.  
«We’re still trying to recover the signal», the man replied, swiping on the screen to show Mokuba what at first sight looked like some sort of radar. «We’re receiving a signal from the dimensional capsule, but we still can’t identify Mr. Kaiba’s presence».

 

 

Was Mokuba not be under the numbing influence of perennial exhaustion, he would surely punched the nearest surface.   
Instead, he rubbed his eyes with one hand, well aware of how deep the dark circles he had under them were, and shook his head: «Three months. It’s been three months, what the fuck is going on there?!», he exclaimed.   
He couldn’t believe something had happened to Seto. They would have noticed, right?  
The capsule signal was still as clear as it was weeks before, after all.   
«Don’t you have some kind of hypothesis?».

 

 

The man averted his gaze: «We don’t have anything to base ourselves on. We have no idea where Mr. Kaiba ended up, if…».

 

 

«If…? Go on», Mokuba urged him.

 

 

He sighed: «If he got there, wherever “there” is. We have the signal, that’s true, but we don’t know if it’s coming from a real place», he replied. «As much as machinery and technology can tell us, your brother could be anywhere and nowhere».

 

 

The man spared him the “if he’s even alive”, but Mokuba caught the implication. Seto could very well be…  
No.  
Seto was alive.   
He wouldn’t have surrendered so easily.   
Mokuba shivered, trying to chase away that nibbling thought, and immediately regretted shaking his head. All those sleepless nights had gotten too much, and the teen had to grasp the control panel in fron of him to prevent himself from falling, feeling a sudden dizziness.   
«Keep an eye on the situation», he ordered, dismissing the director’s worried look and attempt to help him. «Let me know if you notice changes. Any changes».   
That sais, Mokuba waited for his sight to clear and staggered out of the room.

 

At the end of the hallway, Mokuba slipped past the bathroom door and stood in front of the mirror, struggling to recognize his reflection.  
The mirror sent him back the image of a teenager who seemed to have grown too fast, with bags under his eyes and paler than the white suit he was wearing.  
Tired and unnerved, Mokuba raised a hand and combed it through his hair, long and messy dark locks he hadn’t bothered to cut as he was too preoccupied with Seto’s issue.   
His brother had made him promise to carry on the company in case he didn’t come back, but how could he give up Seto’s life without putting on a fight?  
Seto was still alive, Mokuba knew it. he had no intention of giving importance to those compassionate glances everyone threw at him in that damn fool-proofed office. If they thought they were dealing with a passed away CEO because of a crazy experiment, let them keep on talking.   
Mokuba wasn’t going to stop, not before having a 100%  confirmation of Seto’s death.   
«Where the fuck are you, Seto?!», he instinctively yelled at the mirror, regardless of the fact someone could hear him.   
The company was his, other than Seto’s. No one would scold him for doing so.   
Too tired to stop them, Mokuba felt tears of frustration and annoyance run down his cheeks, and he grabbed the edges of the sink so hard his knuckles paled: «Come back, big brother… I beg of you, come back».

 

 

\--

 

 

An order, a flash of dazzling light, and Seto was on the ground one more time, this time with his eyes turned towards the ceiling, the cables sewed on his coat digging into the flesh of his back.  
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, _his_ Blue-Eyes, had now become an enemy to face, lifted in mid-air behind Seth like a ferocious guardian angel.   
The priest was out of breath, but the light on his DiaDhank still shone despite his ba had been decimated. The Millennium Rod he held in his other hand resonated with clear energy, uncontaminated by the horrifying darkness tainting it back when Marik wielded the Item.   
Seto knew he had Atem’s eyes on him, he knew those scarlet bottomless pits were studying every move, but he didn’t dare to cross them.   
Instead, he clenched his fists and forced his body to stand again, narrowly avoiding letting out a groan of pain. He wouldn’t give Seth another small victory to bathe in.   
«Congratulations, you stole my Blue-Eyes. I hope you’re happy with yourself, now», he spat out, one hand raised to press against his chest.   
Every second that passed Seto became weaker and weaker, and that last blow put a strain on his resistance.   
And on his wits.   
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was the most powerful monster Seto could summon, at least in that distorted world inhabited by weirdly corporeal ghosts.   
And Seth had managed to take the mighty creature back, infusing his most profound spiriting into hi majestic soul.

 

 

Seth laughed, again: «Oh, I will be even happier upon seeing you kneeling in front of me for the last time, unable to lift yourself up», he said, amused by Seto’s vain attempt to look stronger than he was.   
«Look at yourself, you are barely standing. I will need nothing more than one last attack to claim a victory that is mine by right», he provoked him, playfully rolling the Millennium Rod in his outstretched hand.

 

 

At those words, Seto’s face twisted in a grimace both annoyed and enraged. He was right, that thrd-rate priest, but that didn’t mean the CEO would throw in the towel so easily.   
No, there had to be something he could do, something he could use to turn the situation to his advantage and allow him to reclaim his victory. Anything.   
Seto couldn’t afford to lose. He had no idea what would happen to him in that case.   
Would he wander aimlessly in darkness for all eternity, without the shining light of his dragon to guid him, or would he remain there, a sweet prisoner in a dimension that didn’t belong to him?  
The thought of Mokuba, alone and left as the lone KaibaCorp. leader, crossed Set’s mind for a monmet, and he clenched his fists until his nails dug tiny crescents into his palms.   
He didn’t want to leave his brother, not if he could still pull out one last weapon.   
But… how?

 

 

«Admit it, Seto Kaiba. You lost», Seth hissed, suffocating his name with poisonous emphasis, a distorted smile still on his face. «What else can you do but fall on you knees and beg for mercy?».

 

 

Seto couldn’t even look him in the face.  
He knew what expression the priest was showing. The same one Seto had shown to the world over and over, until the Pharaoh shattered his soul and made him start anew.   
That behavior was nothing but a mirror on his past self, an unpleasant reminded of the actions that had led the CEO to a ruin made of unlimited power and wealth.   
«I will never admit that, not when I’m still standing». Harsh words, which he hurled at him talking between his teeth.   
He wasn’t able to trust his voice, not as he felt weak and powerless.   
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon stared at him with crystal eyes, as if to judge his decision, as if to point out he was no longer worthy of using her majesty as a banner of his power.   
Maybe it was true.   
Otherwise, why had Seth managed to steal her back so easily? Why hadn’t the dragon hesitated before trampling his with his destructive white lighting?

 

No, it wasn’t going to end that way.  
Seto would never forgive himself for such a mistake. Kneeling in front of Seth as an admission of defeat wasn’t part of his plans, and he wouldn’t change them just to please his doppelganger.   
Seth could have been a priest, a Sacred Guardian, a pharaoh himself… but unlike him, Seto Kaiba had never gave up.   
And he wasn’t going to start now.

 

Gathering all his strength, the last bit of energy that still held him upright, Seto turned his gaze up to the strip of sky visible from an opening, away from everyone present.  
Away from Seth, who had confusedly taken a step back. From Mahad, whose piercing eyes were still burning on his back. From Atem, who had certainly never looked away from the fight between two titans.   
He turned his gaze towards power, to the pure power dominating space and time, the world of the living as well as the land of the dead, permeating every dimension of light and shadow as equals.   
Drawing from all he had left, to the point of touching the deepest and most hidden corners of his soul, Seto collapsed on his knees again, but not in defeat.  
As his Duel Disk lit up with such an intense light it made the entire throne room burn with blue and white, flooded to the brim, Seto cried all his determination into infinity.  
Waves of pure energy shattered wherever the eye watched, pushing Seth and Mahad and all the Sacred Guardians away, opening massive cracks in the floor slabs, peeling away wonderful colors and sparkling gold leaf.  
At their core, Seto knelt submissive but sovereign, arms outstretched and palms wide open on the floor to prevent that immense power from bending him to his will.   
It was like having an extreme weight on his shoulders, pushing down until he’d crawl in dust, but Seto wasn’t made to bow.   
No, Seto was made to triumph, to be the only one left alive and standing after a devastating thunderstorm.

 

Invoking his power and his pain together, Seto required his trembling leg to bear the weight of that responsibility, and wrapped up in sacred deity light he came back to his feet.   
Proud, surrounded by spirals and strings of vibrating force, Seto raised the Duel Disk above his head in the same motion he’d done to oppose the Quantum Cube, and called to himself the only power no one other that Atem itself was able to stop.   
«Tremble before the Egyptian God! Show yourself in all your fury, Obelisk the Tormentor!».  
His voice thundered so powerful in the throne room he himself started to falter, and in front of Seth’s horrified gaze, the god manifested in his utmost glorious power.

 

 

«No, it’s not possible!».  
Terrified, Seth fell back, a hand raised in front of him as if he wanted to protect himself from the sight he had before his eyes.   
Obelisk arose in blasts of light, as immense as he was when Atem had summoned the deity to confront Zorc Necrophades, reverberating a power too great to have been harnessed by a mere mortal.

 

 

Seto raised the Duel Disk again, this time towards Seth, imitating what only a few moments before had been his ancestor’s gesture: «I’m going to teach you something, priest. I never give up, even in the face of death!», he yelled, weary and tired but reinvigorated by the presence of what, during Battle City and against Diva, had been his greatest strength. «It’s something you should have learned for yourself a long time ago».

 

 

«No, don’t do it…!». the plea came instinctive to Seth, impossible to suppress as he shivered in front of a god.   
Coming from him, a man who never in his life had ever pleaded for mercy.

 

 

«I told you, I never back down! Obelisk! – he addressed the god, Duel Disk raised to the sky – Let’s put an end to this useless farce! Attack Seth now! God Hand Crusher!».  
As the god gained power to obey his command, Seto could feel the life leaving his body, drained second by second because of Obelisk.  
Once that attack hit his target, Seto realized a moment too late, Seth wasn’t going to be the only one to lose.   
Seth’s ba would be wiped out, and Obelisk would exhaust to the last drop the life force of his summoner.   
But at that point, there wasn’t time to stop it from happening.

 

 

\--

 

 

Mokuba’s phone rang in the middle of the night, trilling its ringtone in the absolute silence of a bedroom that, instead of protecting a sleeping figure in quiet darkness, anxiously awaited dawn in order to free its uneasy occupant.   
Nervous as ever, Mokuba grabbed the phone and almost dropped it when he saw the call came from the KaibaCorp. office dedicated to Seto’s mission.   
«What happened, did you find something?!», he exclaimed, the normal vibration of the teen’s voice lost in an exhausted tone.   
The answer made Mokuba open his eyes wide, like saucers, and the teen jumped up so fast he had to grab the back of his chair to keep from falling.   
Another load of sleepless nights didn’t work wonders on an already tired body.   
Just the time to wake up Roland and let him start the engine, and Mokuba was already on his way to KaibaCorp., without even bothering to wear suitable clothes.   
Or, clothes in general, given he left in his pajamas.

 

«Seto is alive?!».   
Having broken into the room wearing extremely not sober pajamas, Mokuba wasn’t surprised when every single head turned to stare at him before returning to holographic screens.   
Not that he cared.   
His brother was way more important that some quietly spoken comments on the dragons printed on his nightwear.  
Identifying in a second the office director, Mokuba shuffled towards him as quickly as his legs, already tired, allowed and shot him a stinging look: «Well?».

 

 

He cleared his throat, nodding at the screen in front of him. On it, a dot flickered next to a graphic filled with stats and data on Seto’s vital conditions: «We managed to hook up to the signal coming from Mr. Kaiba less than a hour ago. We have no idea where he is, but we know his conditions are stable, despite not being the best», was the reply, cold and professional as always.

 

 

«Not the best…? What does that mean?!».  
Mokuba pushed the man away to stand in front of the screen, his eyes focused on a string of numbers projected on the holographic surface. As he looked for himself, the teen frowned at how accurate the man’s words were.   
According to the equipment, Seto’s health seemed barely above critical conditions, and not even one number changed in the slightest.   
«What the hell…».  
Confused, the young Kaiba stared at the screen for a good five minutes before sighing, rubbing his forehead. Another headache, splendid.   
«Keep me updated», he requested. «I’ll stay here until further notice, you can send word to the skyscraper’s housing quarters».  
It wasn’t the best decision, also because he would have to send Roland back home to get him a change of clothes, but staying in an empty mansion was starting to get to his nerves.   
And, in doing so he would only have to go down a few floors to reach the office, instead of bothering Roland with another trip from mansion to city center.

 

Whatever was happening to his brother, Mokuba hoped to figure it out soon. It would have been a nice gift, having Seto back before the start of the new year.   
As he closed the door behind his back, the clock chimed midnight.   
«Merry Christmas… big brother».

 

 

\--

 

 

Slowly returning to consciousness, a throbbing pain in his head and behind his eyes, Seto blinked awake and let out a groan, blinded by an intense golden brightness that permeated the room he was in.   
Feeling the uncomfortable sensation of all his dimensional equipment anchored to every inch of his body, the CEO tried use his arm as leverage to get up, but his hand sank into what, instead of being a solid surface, was too soft of a material.   
Only then, blinking several times to sweep away his confusion, Seto realized he was no longer in the half-destroyed throne room.   
He was lying on the soft pillows of a bed, sunk in their comforting grip, and covered up to his chest with fine sheets made of some kind of material Seto couldn’t pinpoint.   
Logic told him it should have been a rough fabric like linen, but to the touch it was so smooth and slippery it looked like silk.   
Above the bed, a delicate golden canopy held up fabrics so thin and light they were almost transparent.   
Seto didn’t even stop to think about how absurd that furniture was, especially knowing Ancient Egyptians had a completely different idea of it.   
Who knew, maybe Atem had been so influenced by modern culture his afterlife changed. Didn’t pharaohs become gods after death?

 

Wait a second.  
Atem…?

 

Suddenly realizing where he was, Seto tried to jump up but a couple of gold adorned hands pushed him back down, determined and delicate at the same time.

 

 

«You are too weak, Kaiba. For once in your life, rest», Atem scolded him, guiding his back down until the man hit the pillows again. «It is a miracle you are still alive, after the show you put up», he added.   
Carefully, the Pharaoh moved from the chair on which he was sitting and relocated on the edge of the bed, being cautious not to move the cushions move too much as his weight made them sink.   
Seto was even paler than he remembered him to be, not surprisingly, and although the surprise of seeing him in the afterlife had not yet completely vanished, Atem could do nothing but wonder how much he’d neglected his health.

 

 

Reluctantly accepting Atem’s words, actually too exhausted to counter with one of his usual responses, Seto observed the Pharaoh with renewed interest.   
The only time, and the last one too, he had seen him in his true appearance had been in the Memory World. He looked different, now, upon seeing him for real and not through a reconstructed memory.   
His dark skin contrasted beautifully and painfully with the whiteness of his tunic, splattered with a hint of blue thanks to a strip of fabric coming down his belt and dotted with dozens of gold flares.   
Atem was drowning in jewels, thick gold bands gripping his legs and arms, even his belt was made of gold strips.   
His neck was decorated by a gold collar, and Seto recognized the silver cartouche given to him by that annoying girl obsessed with friendship. Difficult to make out, half hidden by the sturdy chain of the Millennium Puzzle. Another thing he’d taken from the real world, because the Puzzle wasn’t held by a chain back then.   
The last thing Seto noticed upon gazing at the Pharaoh was his crown, a beautiful piece of royal jewelry that encircled his head, in perfect harmony with the golden blond of his fringe and not hampered by those absurd hair that somehow seemed even wilder than Yugi’s.   
Seto wondered if that crown had been specifically forged for Atem because of his ridiculous hairstyle, but the thought was so irrational he immediately forgot it.   
Although, imaging the Pharaoh struggling to wear a traditional headdress or crown was quite amusing.

 

He realized he was spacing out when, inexplicably lost in those deep crimson eyes, Atem snapped his fingers in front of his face.   
Embarrassed, Seto startled aware and looked away, pointing his gaze to an elegantly carved table in the corner of the room. Above it, Atem seemed to have piled unidentified items and stacks of papyri, perhaps containing useful information or just silly games. Who knew what went on, in that place out of time.   
Why was he feeling that way? It wasn’t the first time Seto found himself so close to him, with all the disasters he’d been thought alongside Yugi (and subsequently the Pharaoh). Because of this or that maniac, they often found themselves supporting each other. For fuck’s sake, Atem held him in his arms as Dartz stole his soul.   
But then… why did his heart skip a beat every time he crossed those burning rubies of hidden fire?  
To gain some time and clear his mind, Seto looked at the ceiling instead of the Pharaoh: «What happened?», he asked.   
Genuine curiosity. The last thing he remembered was the attack order he commanded Obelisk. From then on, it was all too blurry to make sense.

 

 

Atem frowned at that question: «You have been stupidly reckless, Kaiba», he replied. «I understand your desire to always be ten steps above everyone else, but what you did was insane. Impressive, but insane».   
His eyebrow twitched so much it could have been mistaken for a nervous tic.   
When Seto had summoned Obelisk’s power, as soon as the sensed it Atem had wasted no time and demanded his Sacred Guardians to leave.   
Even Mahad, who had insisted on staying with him, had received the same order. For as powerful as the magician was, Obelisk surpassed him.   
«Your brilliant idea almost brought down the entire throne room. Be thankful we are not in the world of the living, because otherwise nothing would have prevented the ceiling from falling on us», he reprimanded him again.

 

 

Seto snorted a laugh: «Oh, come on. This wasn’t the first time I...».  
The expression on Atem’s face, for the first time since he met him through Yugi, silenced the CEO mid-sentence.   
Not because it showed a grounding anger, or blinking scarlet flashes in his general direction. Because it was the opposite.   
Worried and hurt like he’d never seen before.   
Or rather, as he’d seen in but on Yugi’s face, when Atem called him in the middle of the night to talk about how his lack of responsibility allowed the Orichalcos to steal his partner.

 

 

«I know this was not the first time you summoned Obelisk. The god, not the card. You did it against Diva, I saw it», Atem said, recalling with a harsh voice the moment when he’s perceived the Egyptian God disappear from the spirit world. «But what you did here, now… Seto, do you have _any_ idea of what you risked?».

 

 

«Of course I know, I…».  
Frowning, Seto stared at the Pharaoh for what seemed a never-ending handful of seconds.   
He had no idea of what he’d just risked, and the words died in his throat before morphing into  sounds.

 

 

Atem shook his head and folded his arms, hands clasped on dark skin to keep his fingers from shaking: «If I had failed to stop Obelisk, you would have died», he hissed, in a lower and less firm voice that he wanted. «How could you summon a god, in the conditions you were in, without thinking about the consequences?», the Pharaoh added shortly after, an even more inaudible whisper. «Your self-destruction habits will be your downfall, at this rate».  
When Seto dropped to the ground, after Atem’s intervention, the Pharaoh had found himself praying he hadn’t stopped the fight too late.   
The light glimmering on Seto’s equipment had become weaker and weaker until it flickered away, dark particles rising even faster from his figure.   
Right after receiving confirmation from Seth that the man was, miraculously, still alive, Atem ordered his servants to take Seto to his rooms and let him rest.   
«Your gods-forsaken pride almost killed you», he shouted at him, unable to restrain his voice. Unexpectedly, tears of frustration and fear began streaming down his face: «You are an idiot, Seto Kiaba. A fucking idiot!».

 

 

Seto had the impression, if he wasn’t in such bad conditions, the Pharaoh would have gladly slapped him in the face. Even if those words had been more painful than a physical hit, too real to be bearable.   
Seto knew he’d made a mistake, he knew he’d sent all his rationality on a journey through the dark.  
His reply died on the spot, as he watched those tears fall from Atem’s crimson eyes.   
He was so normal, so… human, when he wasn’t enveloped in his usual divine light.

 

 

«Atem…».  
Instinctively, Seto raised an arms and stroked Atem’s cheek with his outstretched hand, catching salty drops with long, trembling fingers. Then, taking note of his gesture, he widened his eyes and pulled the hand away.

 

 

Atem’s, however, held it where it was: «I am not going to watch you die, Seto. Not before your time comes. Not before you live the life you deserve», he whispered, petting the hand he had now grasped in his own.   
Seto’s fingers, still uncertain, intertwined with those of the Pharaoh only a second later.

 

 

«Atem, I…».  
His heart beating wildly, Seto couldn’t bring himself to speak.   
Was that a whole new feeling, the one animating his spirit, or was it something he’d always hidden and suppressed until then?  
But above all, what was that? Why did it make him feel so alive and at the same time so agonized?

 

 

The Pharaoh hushed him with a whisper, a barely audible hiss in the silence of the room, and with a soft smile he bent down until he was only a few inches away from Seto’s face. Until he could feel his suddenly ragged breath tickling his nose.   
«For once, let your heart be in charge», he murmured, before nullifying the distance between their faces and sealing those words in a kiss, light and gentle but at the same time a quiet culmination of something they awaited for so long.   
Eyes closed, Atem felt Seto’s free hand raise to his face, shifting behind his neck just above the collar to keep him there, to make that first, embarrassed kiss last as long as possible.   
It was his own smile that interrupted it, and Atem placed his forehead on Seto’s as soon as their lips parted and they breathed in for air: «Did you find what you were looking for, Seto?».

 

 

«Duel me».

 

 

Atem let out a laugh, exasperated but gentle: «No», he replied, moving away just enough to stare at him in his eyes.  
Those blue eyes that hadn’t changed, loaded with the same intensity they had when he first looked in them.   
Raising one hand to put a strand of rebellious brown hair back in place, Atem softened his expression: «It is not with me that you have to duel», he muttered, leaning forward to let himself be embraced.   
He could feel Seto’s heartbeat under his ear, alive and _there_ unlike his own.

 

 

Automatically, Seto pressed Atem’s smaller frame to himself, wrapping his long arms around the gold-clad man like he’d done a thousand times with Mokuba. This time, though, the feeling that bound him to the person snuggled up against his chest was very different.   
Was Seto Kaiba, the most powerful man in the world with a heart buried in ice, really able to love?  
«Why not you?», he asked, carding a hand through his unruly hair. They were soft, more than he expected. «Who else, if not you?».

 

 

Atem didn’t answer immediately.   
Lulled by the heat emanating from Seto, although his breathing was still irregular and his pulse weaker than is should have been, the Pharaoh smiled again and raised his chin to leave one, two, ten tiny kisses on the man’s face, deliberately avoiding his lips.   
Then, with a sigh, he pulled away and straightened his back, escaping Seto’s gentle grip with a more melancholic smile curving his lips: «Go back, Seto. Go back, and duel Yugi».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was all flashback, and truth be told, also the next one will be largely written around what happened after Dark Side of Dimensions, but my plans on fitting everything into one chapter kind of died down.   
> I wanted to give more dimension to Yugi, Seto and Mokuba, as well as Seth, so I ended up writing more than I previously intended.   
> But hey, at least this wasn't so bad, right? If you don't take into account the cliffhanger I've still left you on.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you so much for following this story and reading it, and as always, kudos and comments are always very much appreciated!
> 
> See you in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> The major headcanon here is the one that sees Atem back as a spirit, not in his own body. I couldn't let myself writing about Yugi living without the Pharaoh in his mind, even though I cannot quite understand the reason myself.  
> The other one sees Seto owning the Millennium Rod, all while being host to his former life's spirit Seth, much like Yugi.  
> Other characters have their own backstories and headcanons connected to them, but those will be treated lightly and shortly, just so you don't get confused and driven away from the main plot itself.


End file.
